News

OPINION: Interrogating The Simple Agenda, Erosion And Flooding In Edo

Published

5 years ago

July 24, 2020

Editor

Don Ofure Osehobo

In most parts of Benin City, today, the fear of rains is the beginning of wisdom. The reason is that whenever it rains, almost every part of the city gets flooded and residences are turned into swamps; some for days and weeks and others, months. As a result, tales of woe fill the lips of most residents as flood waters envelope their homes, overwhelm the surroundings, and destroy properties like cars, and household items like furniture among others.

Few years ago, the Edo State government revived the Benin City Masterplan and articulated the Storm water project to deal with the perennial problems of flooding and erosion. The project was designed to channel the flood waters through artificial underground canals. However, Governor Godwin Obaseki rather than continuing with the project, abandoned it. Unfortunately too, the PDP of which he is now a member has never articulated any plan for the flood menace in the state capital or the other communities. It will be therefore be disastrous for the state, if the party finds itself back in power.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Edo APC governorship candidate in this year’s election has a solution for this erosion and flood menace, which is a source of concern, not only for residents in the state capital but the entire state. He has aptly captioned and enunciated it under the heading, “Infrastructure Development and Urban Renewal Programme” in his Manifesto of Hope called Simple Agenda. With this plan, the new Edo state with Pastor Ize-Iyamu as Chief Executive, will adopt an integrated approach with new ways of building public works systems that is both cost and resource effective.

As part of his commitment, he will review the Benin Storm Water Project for speedy completion to ensure that the problem of perennial flooding in the state capital is taken care of. In addition, major erosion reclamation projects and sites in the state will be diligently tackled to their completion stage while his government honours all outstanding obligations to the World Bank and other relevant agencies.

This is will be backed up with the provision of both primary and secondary drains to accompany roads, to ensure the proper channelization of floodwaters to appropriate receptacles instead of the present practice where floodwaters are directed to residential or inhabited areas .

Towards this end, all the major roads and streets within Benin City and the 18 local government headquarters will be asphalted and in most cases, accompanied with walkways, drains and streetlights, in an unprecedented urban renewal scheme. The walkways plan to include bicycle tracks so as to encourage cycling, as most distances within the metropolis can be embarked on with bicycles as roads should be for all users and not motorists alone. In what the Simple Agenda envisage, even car owners would wish to own bicycles. This also will infuse a new culture for the environment and lead to bicycle plants/job creation and a reduction in fuel consumption. The idea is to bring what has worked well in China, Holland and the Scandinavian countries to Edo state. This will also help in no small way to erase the misconception that bicycles are for the poor.

On the reconstruction and rehabilitation of existing road networks in the state, the Simple Agenda objective is to bring many of Edo’s neglected communities back to life by building strategic roads, to link them with Highways or Express roads so they serve as alternative routes, when necessary.

As for Local Government roads, the agenda has a policy plan for collaboration between Local Government Council Chairmen and the State Government. This will be achieved by restoring autonomy to Local Governments in Edo state, so they can be encouraged to spend significant percentage of their allocations on road rehabilitation. In more specific terms, adequate funding will be extended to roads and drains at the local government areas, such that 10km of asphalted roads with accompanying road infrastructure will be constructed in each of the 18 Local Government Councils. Also the State Government under the leadership of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu will construct an average of 300km of roads to link major towns with the state capital. In addition, under the Simple Agenda, communities shall be encouraged to embark on self-help projects to which the LGAs and the state government shall contribute meaningfully.

Pastor Ize-Iyamu as a youth, saw this strategy working successfully during the period Dr Samuel Ogbemudia’s administration held sway in the good old days of Bendel State. His government will resuscitate this approach and take it to the highest level of community awareness and active participation.

With regards to all existing road construction projects, Pastor Ize-Iyamu hopes to complete all of them. With the Simple Agenda, he deliberately plan to create new towns and settlements around Benin City. He also plans a second bridge to link Upper St. Saviour and Ikpoba Hill not only to reduce traffic bottlenecks on the Ikpoba Hill axis and Murtala Muhammed Way junction of Sokponba road but also to boost commercial and industrial activities in the area.

The Simple Agenda also contains the plan to extend the Airport Road beyond the Iyekogba bridge to Evbuodia Utagba Village to join Ekenwan Barrack Road by Ojemai Farms. This means that all vehicles coming to Ring Road from Ekenwan Barrack, Ugbine, and even Ugbiyoko axis will access the Ring Road through his extended Evbuodia/Airport Road.

To ensure that all the projects for erosion and flood control, road construction and rehabilitation remain in good conditions all year round, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu will send a bill for the establishment of the Edo State Road Maintenance Agency to the State legislature. When established the agency, will have full complements of earth moving equipment at its state capital headquarters and all zonal offices in each of the three Senatorial Districts. The agency in collaboration with the State Ministry of Works, will have full responsibility for continuous road maintenance and rehabilitation across the state. The objective is reduce cases of road failures and the huge costs of fixing them.

From the above, it is obvious that the objective of the infrastructure development and urban renewal programme in the Simple Agenda is to bequeath to Edo state, durable physical structures and facilities that will promote decent living standards. Moreover, the deliberate policy is to eliminate waste and bequeath a state-of-the-art infrastructure across the state that will be affordable to maintain so that future generations of Edolites can utilize it and be proud of it.

Ofure Osehobo, a journalist writes from Benin City.

News

Lagos Unveils Artisan Certification To Curb Building Collapse

Published

13 hours ago

October 2, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory has launched a new certification and training programme for artisans in the construction industry as part of efforts to stem the spate of building collapses in the state.

The initiative, known as the Certified Structural Integrated Programme, was unveiled at a stakeholders’ forum held in Ese-Offin and Badagry, where block moulders, bricklayers, concrete mixers, steel fabricators and welders converged to pledge support for safer construction practices.

In a statement on Thursday by the Lagos Government, General Manager of LSMTL, Olayinka Abdul, said the programme marked a decisive step in tackling recurring tragedies linked to substandard construction materials.

“Without artisans, there is no construction. But with you, we have the power to ensure every construction is safe, sound, and secure. We need to earnestly curb episodes of collapse in high-water-prone communities, and we do not want such in your community. It ends today,” he said.

According to the statement, the CSIP is a five-year assessment programme aimed at certifying construction materials as fit-for-purpose.

It will also produce an official directory of approved block moulders, concrete mixers and steel fabricators, to whom developers will be directed for supplies.

“This is not just about enforcement; it is about partnership and empowerment. Together, we can forge an unbreakable alliance that makes Lagos a model for building safety and integrity,” Abdul added.

Technical experts at the forum highlighted the scientific backing for the initiative. Director of the Soil and Geotechnics Unit, Engr. Abimbola Adebayo, stressed the need for mandatory soil tests before construction.

Similarly, Kayode Akinfeleye of the Technical Services Department advised builders to ensure architectural drawings are obtained and preserved, describing them as “a core requirement in the Lagos building process.”

Artisan guild leaders welcomed the initiative. Chairman of the National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria, Alhaji Fabiyi Oyeleke, described frequent collapses as “disheartening” and commended the forum as a step in the right direction.

On his part, Chairman of the Lagos State Bricklayers Association, Mr. Fashina Aro, noted the peculiarities of Lagos’s swampy terrain and urged all stakeholders to ensure materials and soil tests are completed before bricklayers commence work on any site.

Building collapse has been a persistent challenge in Lagos, with many lives lost and substantial property damage over the years.

In recent incidents, emergency responders have had to rescue workers from collapsed structures.

PUNCH Online reports that rescue teams pulled eight workers from the debris of a collapsed building in September.

Reports by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild show Lagos accounts for about 55% of recorded building collapse incidents in Nigeria over the past several decades.

In response, Lagos has taken steps to strengthen bodies like the Lagos State Building Control Agency, enhancing enforcement, monitoring, and regulation of building standards.

News

Edo deputy gov warns MOWAA Against encroachment

Published

14 hours ago

October 2, 2025

Editor

Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, has warned management of Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) to adhere strictly to laid-down demarcation between the museum and the Edo Specialist Hospital (ESH).

Idahosa, who gave the warning when he visited the site on Thursday, expressed displeasure over MOWAA’s alleged encroachment on ESH land despite earlier directives.

The deputy governor stressed that governor Monday Okpebholo had mandated him to ensure compliance with the demarcation lines.

“Governor Okpebholo asked me to advise and also warn the MOWAA management to stick to the demarcation lines between the ESH and the MOWAA institution,” the deputy governor said.

During the visit, Idahosa supervised the demolition of parts of the obsolete tuberculosis building at the hospital and monitored debris clearance to facilitate the hospital’s expansion project.

Recounting earlier efforts, he said: “Few weeks ago, we were here to give demarcation on the boundary between MOWAA and the ESH.Apparently, the MOWAA management decided to encroach on the land given to ESH.

“We came to let them know that the Edo State Government is firm on it, and we have given them the right coordinates. We have also sealed the part that belongs to the ESH, so MOWAA, at this point, can no longer encroach.”

Idahosa emphasized that the government’s priority remains the security and health of Edo people, noting that compliance with lawful boundaries is in the interest of both institutions.

“This is not a witch hunt. The governor is fair enough to allow MOWAA to continue with whatever we met on ground. He has not encroached or done anything contrary to the law. Hence, they should also stick and abide by the law,” he said.

The Chief Medical Director of ESH, Dr. Anthonia Njoku commended Okpebholo for protecting the hospital’s expansion interest.

Similarly, the Managing Director of the Edo State Development and Building Control Agency, Mr. Imoisili Igabali noted that negotiations had been ongoing with MOWAA over the demarcation and that a temporary perimeter wall had been set up in the meantime.

“As an agency, our responsibility in the state is to ensure that development in the state is done according to laid down rules and regulations,” Igabali stated.

News

Police Begin Enforcement Of Tinted Glass, Siren Regulations In Edo, Delta

Published

14 hours ago

October 2, 2025

Editor

The Zone Five Police Command have begun enforcing the ban on the unauthorised use of sirens and tinted glass permit regulations.

NAN reports that the zone five command located in the South-south Geo-political Zone comprises Edo and Delta.

This is contained in a statement by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tijani Momoh, in Abuja.

The exercise, the command said, is in line with the existing laws and directives of IGP Kayode Egbetokun, which apply to all vehicles with tinted glasses, whether factory or non-factory fitted.

Momoh quoted the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the zone, Salma-Dogo Garba, as saying that the enforcement would also affect the subsisting ban on the unauthorised use of sirens.

According to Garba, there will also be strict enforcement on the use of revolving lights, Police SPY and unallocated official number plates, as well as the use of unregistered vehicles.

“In view of the above, motorists yet to register their vehicles with tinted glasses are strongly advised to do so at www.possap.gov.ng.

“Thereafter, they should proceed to their state command headquarters for physical verification.

“Those who are not desirous of obtaining the tinted glass permit are advised to remove such tints or replace the factory-fitted glasses with transparent ones, as legally provided by the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act 2004.”

The AIG warned field operatives and their supervisory officers to ensure that the exercise was carried out with utmost professionalism, devoid of any form of harassment or extortion of motorists.

He stressed that any officer found wanting would be duly sanctioned, while the concerned supervisory officer would be held liable.

Garba further urged motorists to cooperate with the Police during the exercise in order to ensure public safety and national security.

He also charged residents to promptly report any form of harassment, extortion, or other unprofessional conduct to the nearest police station, the commands CRUs, or the ZPPRO.

NAN reports that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced that strict enforcement of the Tinted Glass Permit requirement will begin across Nigeria on Thursday.

The directive comes under the authority of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, 2004, a law intended to bolster security and curb criminal behaviour.

Under the new mandate, all vehicles with tinted windows are expected to carry valid and verifiable permit documents, which must be presented whenever requested by law enforcement.

NAN