Let us celebrate Okpebholo for Ikpoba Hill flyover

What is reality? Professor Ebinma Ogie in his book BEYOND PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION says reality is what you perceive exists using your senses even without the deployment of any clairvoyant power of extra sensitive perception. From the foregoing, the ordinary man can see that there is a flyover at the crest of Ikpoba Hill in Benin Metropolis that will be commissioned in November 2026 at God's fulfilled time.

In this write-up, it is not my wish to add to the voices of criticisms of the gigantic project undertaken by Governor Monday Okpebholo. Rather, my aim is to celebrate him for giving us the flyòver at the appropriate time.

Res ipso loquitur. Yes, the fact speaks for itself!!. Before the state governor built the flyover after 35 years of the creation of Edo State no other governor thought of the idea between 1991-2008.

Chief Lucky Igbinedion (1999-2007) as a governor was concentrating on clearing the inherited legacies of military misrule in the state. Notwithstanding, the state was not contending with any pathological traffick congestion.

During the eighteen months tenure of Osariemhen Osunbor from May 29, 2007 to November 11, 2008, the state began to witness some tolerable but disturbing flashes of traffic gridlocks in Benin Metropolis. However, the concept of building a flyover never crossed Osunbor's mind. His attention was fixated on the court case by Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole challenging his victory in the 2007 gubernatorial election in the state.

His administration grossed over N61 billion in revenue spent on short-term projects which included expanding the intersection at Akpakpava Road and First East Circular Road to ease traffic flow.

Eventually, the court case ended in Oshiomhole's favour.

Oshiomhole assumed office on November 12, 2008. Top prioriies on his mind were modernizing the city of Benin through traffic decongestion, road infrastructure and erosion/ storm water control among others in the whole state. Hence, on January 2, 2009 during his inspection tour of the city he announced that he would build flyovers in Benin Metropolis starting off with the one at Ugbowo Axis known for traffic congestion notoriety.

To achieve his goals, Oshiomhole in his first Budget of 2009 titled A NEW BEGINNING FOR EDO STATE allocated 70 percent of the budget to modernise Benin City out of which a whopping N800m was for beautifying the city.

No governor in the history of Edo State has ever done such a thing even till date Oshiomhole was in office for eight years leaving on November 11, 2016 without building any flyover. However, the people of the state are still happy with him because his Action Congress (AC) party was doggedly able to work with the belligerent PDP administration at the centre to deliver a modernized Ugbowo Road that has reduced traffic congestion in that part of the city.

Despite this feat, Oshiomhole gave Benin City durable motorable roads. Certainly, we shouldn't forget in a hurry the Airport Road, Siloko Road and Second East Circular Road with walkways Oshiomhole gave Edo State. He came, saw and conquered!! But he didn't gift Edo State flyovers.

In 2016 a technocrat, Governor Godwin Obaseki, was sworn into office. He came with an agendum to increase the revenue profiile of the state as well as digitalize gòvernance. Too true, his interest was to grow Edo State's GDP to N30 billion. That is why he ignored all pleas to either expañd Ramat Park Road network or build a flyover there. Infact, his first term official engagement as governor on being sworn in was on November 22, 2016 was to Guinness Nigeria PLC, Benin brewery shoulders with Ramat Park.

He went there to commission the company's new spirit production line. During the event, he promised to convert Ramat Park to a Recreation Park to be named Guinness Ramat Park forgetting that late Gen Murtala Mohammed after whom the park was named in 1976 was a devoted muslim who does not drink alcohol. This was not all.

From 2016-2024 that Obaseki governed, he virtually abandoned Ramat Park. It was overgrown with weeds. Beggars and destitutes turned the park into a playground urinating as well as defecating there while a lunatic farmed and inhabited in the area. No visible effort was made to transform the place even into a Guinness Ramat Park until he left office in 2024.

Obaseki worked hard to ensure Dr. Asue Ighodalo succeeded him. If this happened, the policy of neglecting Ramat Park would have continued for another eight yeaŕs!!

Today, a new sheriff Governor Monday Okpebholo is on the saddle. Building the flyover is a major proority for him. As soon as he was sworn into office, he visited the Ramat Park for optics of the topography and a mental visualization of the project. Thereafter, the construction of the edifice began in ernest without bureaucratic redtapism.

As I write this article, the flyover has been completed. It has been provided with solar lights that illuminate it as well as the surrounding ambient perimeters underneath.

In addition, engineering works have been done to eliminate flood water at Ramat Park axis which led to the office relocation of INEC and Federal High Court.

The governor is able to deliver the flyover because of what I describe as his Doctrine of Okpebholo-ism which encapsulates:

▪Promising and executing the flyover from the beginning to the end in record time without any stoppage time or excuses.

▪Regular, routine unsheduled inspection tours of the project to follow public money paid to the contractor to monitor pace, quality and durability of the work.

▪Collaboration with the federal government to secure approval and facilitate the intervention of the administration in building the flyover in a federal government road corridor.

▪Building mutual trust, respect and loyalty among the APC family to enhance support for the project through a policy of dialogue, inclusive govrrnance, consultation, consensus simplicity,humility and largeheartednens.

▪Acceprance of the limits of personal, knowledge perfection and avoiding self-centred abusive authoritarianismIIndeed, it is through this Doctrine of Okpebholo-ism that there is a flyover standing in architectural majesty at Ramat Park today.

Methinks, this doctrine should be applied to all projects of the state so as to enhance the governor's SHINE Agenda.

Meanwhile, we should celebrate Governor Monday Okpebholo for the first flyover in Benin Metropolis hate or like him.

The bible tells us that there was abundant joy in the household of Abraham and Sera when God forgave their sin with the slave girl and gave them a divine child, Isaac, after 25 years of waiting.

We waited in agony for 35 years after the creation of Edo State before Governor Monday Okpebholo built a flyover for us. The project is a significant contribution to the modern, physical transformation of Benin City. So, why should we not celebrate the man who did what the Napoleon Bonapartes of Edo State couldn't do for 35 years?