Governor Monday Okpebholo’s first anniversary in office came with a familiar script a long list of promises, emotional speeches, and photo opportunities. But for most Edo residents, especially those driving on the state’s crumbling roads or living in fear of kidnappers, the event felt like another performance with no substance.
One Year, Same Story
Speaking at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Auchi during a thanksgiving service, the governor said his administration would “continue to do its best” to fight insecurity and fix bad roads. But the truth is that after a whole year in office, there’s little to show beyond promises. The roads remain death traps, potholes have become landmarks, and citizens now crowdfund to pay ransoms because the state can’t protect them.
Okpebholo’s words — “we will continue to do our best” have started to sound like a broken record. Doing one’s best is no longer enough when kidnappers strike daily, when farmers can’t go to their farms, and when the simplest drive from Auchi to Benin feels like an endurance test.
Edo’s Broken Roads and Broken Trust
Edo’s roads are not just bad; they are embarrassing. In Benin City, floodwater mixes with potholes, turning major roads into muddy traps. In rural areas, whole communities are cut off after heavy rain. Yet, the governor’s anniversary message focused more on future intentions than concrete timelines or visible progress.
Residents no longer want promises; they want bulldozers. For a government that inherited failing infrastructure, Okpebholo’s administration has spent more time talking about repairs than actually repairing anything. One year later, Edo still looks like a construction plan without a construction site.
Insecurity: When Citizens Fund Their Own Safety
While the governor spoke of “ridding the state of criminal elements,” many Edo families are already doing that, with their own money. In towns like Ekpoma, Ehor, and Uromi, residents now raise funds to pay ransom for kidnapped loved ones. What should be the government’s job has become a community duty.
The irony is painful: people are taxed by fear and then comforted by promises. A government that can’t secure its roads or its citizens cannot keep asking for patience forever.
Promises Are Not Achievements
Every government promises. The difference lies in execution. One year in, there are no major projects, no visible reforms, and no measurable progress in security. What Edo people are hearing are the same words that politicians have used for decades: “We will fix roads,” “We will fight insecurity,” “We will continue to do our best.”
If promises were results, Edo would be a model state by now. But every rainy season tells a different story, roads vanish, transport prices rise, and residents wait for the next government statement about “plans.”
Governance by Speech
Okpebholo’s administration is fast becoming one that governs through speeches instead of action. His anniversary address was polished, emotional, and well-written but that’s all it was. Governance isn’t thanksgiving services and press releases, it’s grit, budget discipline, and visible work on the ground.
The people are tired of motivational governance. They want measurable governance.
A Year Lost to Excuses
One year later, Edo deserves better than excuses wrapped in promises. The governor has spent too much time “promising to do his best” and too little time showing what that best actually looks like.
The roads are still broken, the kidnappers are still out there, and the people are still paying for government failure.
Until there is real evidence of progress, roads fixed, security restored, and trust rebuilt, Okpebholo’s anniversary will be remembered not for what he did, but for what he promised and failed to do.
