By Davidson Ogbebor

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has pledged to commence major road construction and rehabilitation projects in the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Benin City, after the rainy season, disclosing that five contractors have been identified for the projects.

The governor also announced plans to strengthen security operations across the state through the deployment of additional vehicles, motorcycles and specially trained security personnel.

Okpebholo made the commitments during the 2026 Harvest of Family Intercessory Ministries (FIM) International Inc., attended by top government officials. The delegation also visited Christian Brethren Ministries (CBM) to celebrate the 65th birthday of its General Overseer, Pastor Obby Okeke.

Two clerics, Pastor Margaret Agbonifo, vision bearer of FIM, and Okeke, commended the administration’s efforts to address insecurity but urged the governor to prioritise the rehabilitation of deteriorating roads.

Agbonifo praised the government’s response to kidnapping, cultism, banditry and other criminal activities, attributing the administration’s security drive to the governor’s commitment to confronting crime.

She, however, called for urgent intervention on roads across the state, particularly in the GRA, where residents have raised concerns over their condition.

“Edo people want good roads. Please help address it,” she appealed.

Similarly, Okeke commended the administration’s response to the kidnapping of victims at a vegetable market, saying the suspects were arrested within 24 hours.

According to Okeke, the victims were close friends of the church, and the incident had caused considerable distress among those affected. The reported arrests, the cleric said, brought relief to the victims’ associates.

Responding, Okpebholo said his administration remained committed to improving security and addressing infrastructure challenges across Edo State.

On security, the governor disclosed that the government had procured more than 40 vehicles and motorcycles to support security operations. He said the equipment would be deployed to strategic junctions to improve response times to distress calls.

He also confirmed that suspects linked to the vegetable-market kidnapping were arrested within 24 hours, describing the response as an indication of the administration’s approach to tackling criminal activities.

The governor further disclosed that special forces were undergoing training and would be deployed in the coming weeks to strengthen surveillance and security operations across the state.

“Edo will be safer very soon, as special forces are already in training, and in the next few weeks there will be heavy security presence across the state, monitoring people’s movement,” he said.

On road infrastructure, Okpebholo acknowledged public complaints about the state of roads in the GRA, including concerns expressed on social media.

He said five contractors had been identified to undertake road construction projects in the area after the rainy season, adding that the government intended to extend road rehabilitation efforts to other parts of the state.

“Edo people are crying about bad roads in the GRA, and social media is full of complaints. But don’t worry. Immediately after the rainy season, we will embark on massive work and put everything to rest,” the governor said.

Okpebholo attributed some of the road problems to inadequate drainage infrastructure and poor maintenance, noting that blocked drainage channels had contributed to the deterioration of roads in the GRA and other locations.

He said the administration would incorporate drainage improvements into its road construction and rehabilitation plans to address recurring problems.

Acknowledging the challenges associated with executing road projects during the rainy season, the governor said the government would commence the planned work when weather conditions became more favourable.

The commitments place road rehabilitation and security among the administration’s stated priorities, with residents awaiting the commencement of the promised projects and the impact of the planned security deployments.