As Okpebholo Right Wrongs of Recent Past in Edo…

Efosa Uhunamure writes that Governor Monday Okpebholo is taking necessary steps to right the wrongs of the previous government through the provision of infrastructural facilities like roads and hospitals for use by the people of Edo State.

Once again, Chris Nehikhare has criticised the administration of Edo State Governor,  Senator Monday Okpebholo. It is rather unfortunate that the man has forgotten the ruins left behind by the immediate past government. Edo people have not forgotten.

For years, Nehikhare served as the megaphone of an administration that mismanaged the people’s trust, plunged families into hardship, and left Edo workers, students, and businesses in pain.

Today, Edo breathes again because there is a governor who values lives, especially the most vulnerable among us: our children. The ₦2.5 billion released by Governor Okpebholo for the construction of a world-class Paediatric Specialist Clinic at UBTH is more than just another project; it is a loud declaration that this government values the lives of Edo children. It is the symbol of a new era in Edo, where hospitals are built, not demolished; where health is prioritized, not commercialized; and where governance means compassion, not arrogance.

This is exactly the difference between yesterday’s rulers and today’s leadership. Under Obaseki, which Chris defended, Edo’s 100-year-old Central Hospital was demolished to make way for a  museum project. Stella Obasanjo Hospital was reduced to an empty shell. The Edo Specialist Hospital, built with taxpayer money, was privatized to cronies. That administration turned healthcare into a private business while Edo people died in their thousands.

Let it be said loud and clear: UBTH’s doors are open to our children, our mothers, our fathers, our families. UBTH may carry a federal tag, but its wards are filled with Edo people. When a child in Uromi, Ekpoma, or Agenebode is rushed in emergency, they are not treated as “federal children.” They are Edo sons and daughters. To dismiss this N2.5 billion investment as unnecessary is to dismiss the lives of those children.

The same logic applies to roads and security. Yes, they may be owned by the federal government, but who suffers when they fail? Edo people. When federal roads collapse, it is Edo traders and commuters that are trapped. When insecurity rises, it is Edo families that bury their loved ones. And when hospitals lack facilities, it is Edo children that die. Senator Okpebholo understands this reality, and that is why he has not hidden behind excuses. Instead, he is fixing federal roads, partnering with UBTH, supporting security agencies with equipment, and building institutions that work for Edo people. That is leadership. That is responsibility. That is what Nehikhare and the past administration never gave us.

This is why Okpebholo’s government is already delivering Edo’s first-ever flyover at Ramat Park while Obaseki couldn’t build one in eight years; in fact, another has been approved at Adesuwa Junction.

Among others, he has revived the moribund New Edo Line Transport Company, a project that directly impact Edo lives and restore pride in the state.

What moral standing does Chris Nehikhare have to speak today? Edo people know the truth: Nehikhare is not speaking for them; he is only struggling to stay relevant.

Under Senator Okpebholo, Edo is on a new path. He is restoring dignity to governance, bringing back development with a human face, and ensuring that no Edo person is left behind. His government has shown compassion where the last government showed arrogance, results where they delivered excuses, and hope where they left despair.

The N2.5 billion Paediatric Clinic at UBTH is not just a project; it is a symbol of Edo’s rebirth. It is proof that the era of reckless propaganda is over, and the era of people-centered governance has begun.

Nehikhare belongs to the past. Edo people are focused on the future and that future is being built today by Senator Okpebholo.

-Uhunamure writes from Oredo.