The Primacy of Truth (Part 12)

By Crusoe Osagie

Iyekogba in Oredo Local Government Area (LGA) Ward 2 struggled with underdevelopment for decades.

A high-profile residential estate was sited in the once sleepy community, I believe with the intent of helping to elevate the neigbourhood to some level of economic and social prominence.

Unfortunately, a revamp of the fortunes of that community still did not happen. Rather, the estate, like other valuable assets in this satellite town, was drenched in dust when it was dry and mud, when it rained.

A friend of mine in secondary school, Jacob Otabor, who has been an Emergency Room Nurse in the United States of America (USA) for over 25 years, had sited his home on this axis with the hope that things were going to improve. But this was not the case until Governor Godwin Obaseki took office in 2016.

Today, one of the longest roads ever constructed in one stretch in Edo State’s history sits pretty in this community.

The 18.5km road called Irhirhi Road which connects Airport Road to Sapele Road is the particular effort of Governor Obaseki which endeared him to my classmate, Jacob.

This road which traverses Irhirhi, Aruogba, Obazagbon, Oke-Oroma, Obagienevbosa, Ogheghe communities and Sapele Road bypass, across two local government councils, has affected the lives of not less than 50,000 households directly, with the value of their real estate rising by around 5000 percent in some cases.

The road has also helped to reduce the suffering of Edo people who are affected by the protracted neglect of Sapele Road construction by the Federal Government.

All these bring me back to my recurring question which I hope my readers don’t mind me asking again in this episode: Will the likes of Jacob, other residents of Iyekogba, commuters who use Irhirhi Road as well as their friends and families sit idly and watch the Lions and Tigers return us to the shackles of underdevelopment?

The jury is out and the battleground is the gubernatorial election on September 21, 2024.

Sadly, not many will read this. Our people are inundated by a deluge of tall tales and they can hardly find space to accommodate the Primacy of Truth.

Watch out for Part 13.

Osagie, a journalist, is the Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media Projects