By Saintmoses Eromosele (SME)
Last week, a team of doctors and I bypassed Ugbowo, Uselu, New Benin, and Akpakpava roads, driving from the communities around the back gate of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) to Ikpoba Hill via the newly constructed Uteh-Temboga Road (that terminates at the Ikpoba Hill T-Junction), where the newly built Labour House, named after Adams Oshiomhole, is situated. The journey took exactly 33 minutes, primarily due to the ongoing construction of the Upper Temboga Road, which extends from Upper Mission Extension through Uteh to UBTH. We observed construction workers on-site, and it appears that work is progressing steadily to construct, expand, and beautify Benin City further.
This significant infrastructure project, being executed by the Okpebholo administration, deserves commendation for its insight and foresight. It is not among the white elephant projects but rather a necessary and achievable development that will have lasting benefits.
Equally deserving of praise is the Obaseki administration, which constructed the first phase of Temboga Road, stretching from Ikpoba Hill Road by the river bridge to Upper Mission Extension Road. This earlier development undoubtedly inspired the current administration to extend the road further, connecting Upper Mission Extension to Ugbowo, thus creating an alternative route that avoids Akpakpava, New Benin, Uselu and Ugbowo. Upon completion, it is projected that travel time between Ramat Park and UBTH will be reduced to less than 15 minutes, with new urban developments expected to emerge along the corridor from Uteh to Ugbowo. Governance is a continuum. Gridlocks on the Ikpoba Hill would also significantly reduce.
However, the lack of clear communication about the project led to unnecessary political controversy. When construction resumed on Temboga Road, some claimed that the Okpebholo administration was taking credit for a road already constructed by Obaseki, while opposition voices dismissed these claims. The reality, however, is straightforward:
Temboga Road spans from Ikpoba Hill to Ugbowo, with a major intersection at Upper Mission Extension Road.
This means one could differentiate between Temboga Road (already constructed by Obaseki) and Upper Temboga Road (the Uteh axis, from across Upper Mission Extension, currently under construction by Okpebholo).
Governor Obaseki completed the first phase (Ikpoba Hill to Upper Mission Extension Road). Governor Okpebholo is currently executing the second phase (Upper Mission Extension Road to Ugbowo).
This expansion is a transformational project that will enhance connectivity, reduce travel time, and open up new economic and residential hubs within Benin City. Both Godwin Obaseki and Monday Okpebholo deserve commendation for their respective contributions to Edo State’s urban development.
This is not an endorsement of either governor, neither of whom I align with politically; it is simply a statement of facts beyond politics.
Saintmoses Eromosele (SME) writes from his cassava farm in Ewu.
