EDO GETS 60 NEW PROJECTS FROM FG

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By Adeniyi Onaara

According to Clem Agba, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, around 60 Federal Government projects are being sited in Edo State under the Economic Sustainability Plan.

On Tuesday, the minister disclosed this while commissioning and reviewing several finished projects in Edo’s Edo-North Senatorial District.

The minister completed and launched several projects, including a 1.5km Mogbe-Edegbe road, a 4.5km Agenebode-Unedeger road, a 2.5km Ekiwosor-Ivikhue road, Imukena Road, the installation of a 500 KVA transformer in Agenebode, an open stalls market, and solar street lighting.

The minister also visited the building of the 31-kilometer Uzanu-Ajaokuta Road in Kogi, as well as the 21.5-kilometer Uzanu-Okpekpe Road, the 6-kilometer Ogeneda-Ugochi Road, and the 10-kilometer Egbegeri-Ate and Somorika Roads.

Uzanu mini market, Uzanu divisional police station, Uzanu mini stadium, Uzanu internal roads, and the development of an 80-bed facility with two theatres and physicians’ quarters of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Uzanu Annex of the state are included among the projects.

The minister stated that the rural programs are being launched in response to farmers’ 60% post-harvest loss and to eliminate multidimensional poverty in rural areas.

According to him, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ),’s policies are aimed at dramatically lowering the multidimensionally poor Nigerians numbering over 130 million.

“From the last count, including what we have in 2023, I believe we have about 60 projects in Edo, and I am glad you have seen some of them,” he said.

“We have seen some social media posts claiming that the president has done nothing in Edo by those who have done nothing but sign MOUs.”But, as they say, seeing is believing, and we haven’t been making much noise since we are empty vessels.

“The president has done exceptionally well for Edo State.” You saw a bridge today at Uzanu, and we have a contemporary bridge that we facilitated as part of the economic sustainability strategy,” Agba explained.

Agba noted that the National Roads Reduction Policy’s huge development of roads in rural villages aimed to connect rural areas together in order to convey farm produce to neighboring communities for economic gains.

The minister, on the other hand, assuaged fears that any current projects would be abandoned because they were included in the 2023 budget, which the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Tinubu will continue under his renewed hope program.

Mr. Peter Okpnokhe, Simon Ogie, and Julius Enakhena, community leaders, praised President Buhari and the minister for bringing such commendable projects to the senatorial district.

They did, however, request that the other projects in the senatorial districts be completed as soon as possible.