The Edo State Government has announced a week-long series of events to commemorate the first anniversary of Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration, pledging to deepen transparency, accountability, and practical governance despite inheriting what it described as a staggering ₦600 billion debt from the previous government.
Briefing journalists in Benin City, the Commissioner for Communication and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said the celebration will run from November 7 to 12, 2025, culminating in a colloquium that will feature prominent speakers from within and outside the state to interrogate governance, accountability, and policy direction.
Afegbua stated that the anniversary activities would highlight the administration’s achievements through the commissioning of impactful projects across the three senatorial districts, reflecting Governor Okpebholo’s commitment to “practical governance, not governance by consultancy.”
“From November 7 to 11, Governor Okpebholo will tour the three senatorial districts to commission projects executed by this administration. Journalists will be carried along to physically verify these projects,” Afegbua said. “These are not projects written on paper or tied to MoUs; they are tangible projects that citizens can see and touch.”
He emphasized that despite the heavy debt burden inherited from the immediate past administration, Governor Okpebholo has continued to deliver reforms and programmes that have reshaped the state’s development trajectory.
“On road projects alone, the administration inherited ₦187 billion in unpaid claims to contractors,” he said. “Governor Godwin Obaseki left a mountain of debt and uncompleted projects. We expect him to account for how Edo’s resources were managed, especially with the ongoing House of Assembly probe into MOWA and the Radisson Hotel projects.”
Afegbua commended Governor Okpebholo’s aggressive push against insecurity, cultism, and kidnapping, noting that the administration has strengthened law enforcement logistics with 60 Hilux vehicles, 400 motorcycles, and the recruitment of 2,500 security corps personnel to support federal agencies.
He added that the administration’s infrastructure drive is equally visible, citing the ongoing construction of the first-ever flyover at Ramat Park, as well as new flyovers at Adesuwa Road and the proposed Dawson Junction bridge, all aimed at easing traffic congestion and modernizing the state capital.
Afegbua also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, for their collaboration with the Edo State Government in rehabilitating federal roads. “Sapele Road is currently under reconstruction, and the Minister’s repeated visits underscore the President’s commitment to fixing critical federal infrastructure in Edo,” he said.
On education, the commissioner disclosed that the government has reclaimed over 63 schools, previously abandoned or mismanaged, including the Army Day Secondary School, while recruiting 5,000 teachers and 500 civil servants to fill critical manpower gaps.
He criticized the previous administration’s handling of the EdoBEST programme, alleging that it became a “conduit for fraud” through which ₦160 million was paid monthly to consultants between 2018 and 2024 without measurable improvement in the education sector.
Afegbua also highlighted major strides in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental restoration, noting that Governor Okpebholo’s reforms have revived moribund projects and reclaimed government lands encroached under the previous regime. “We have reclaimed the MOWA lands where over ₦3 billion was previously sunk with nothing to show for it,” he said.
He further accused the former administration of hurriedly commissioning uncompleted projects such as the Education Hub and Stella Obasanjo Hospital, saying the current government is committed to completing and properly delivering them to Edo people.
According to Afegbua, the forthcoming colloquium on November 12 will serve as a platform for reflection, policy review, and public engagement as the administration prepares for its second year. “It is time to interrogate our progress, challenge our perspectives, and set a new tone for governance that truly serves Edo people,” he said.
Despite the financial constraints, Afegbua reaffirmed that Governor Okpebholo remains resolute in his mission to rebuild Edo on the pillars of integrity, transparency, infrastructure renewal, and inclusive growth.
