Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North District in the National Assembly and former governor of Edo State, has delivered a strong critique of the immediate past administration, accusing it of wasting resources on numerous project groundbreakings that produced no tangible results. Speaking with journalists in Benin City over the weekend, Oshiomhole highlighted major failed initiatives, including the Gelegele Port project and several abandoned housing schemes, which he said symbolized years of unproductive governance.
According to the senator, several flagship programmes, including the much-publicized EdoBEST education initiative, were largely “deceptive.” He argued that many public schools lacked basic infrastructure such as electricity and Wi-Fi, making the administration’s digital learning performance claims questionable. Oshiomhole added that the previous government neglected public education and significantly reduced the number of teachers, leaving many schools in a state of disrepair.
In a characteristically fiery tone, he also chastised journalists for what he called excessive reliance on the viewpoints of opposition figures he described as “political ancestors.” He said, “You had a meeting with PDP ancestors because that party is politically dead. In this part of the world, when you’re dead, you join the ancestors. Did they speak to you from their graves? I answer questions from the living, not the dead.”
Oshiomhole further argued that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) delivered no meaningful achievements within its first year in office, instead embarking on multiple ceremonial groundbreakings. He joked that the frequency of such events nearly turned Edo State “into an earthquake zone,” pointing out the abandoned Gelegele Port project, which he mocked for “shifting into Benin when it rained.”
Turning his attention to the current administration, Oshiomhole praised Governor Monday Okpebholo for what he described as a remarkable turnaround within just one year. He noted that Okpebholo inherited a state that had suffered from eight years of neglect but has already executed visible and verifiable projects across key sectors.
One of the governor’s most notable achievements, according to Oshiomhole, is the Ramat Park flyover project an intervention expected to ease chronic traffic congestion and enhance economic activities in Benin City. He also lauded the refurbishment of dilapidated schools, highlighting recently displayed images showing upgraded learning environments under Okpebholo’s leadership.
The senator also commended the governor’s decisive efforts to revitalize Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma. He recalled that the institution was on the verge of collapse due to insufficient funding during the previous administration, which provided a subvention of only N200 million. Oshiomhole praised Okpebholo for increasing the subvention to N500 million monthly, thereby resolving long-standing academic disruptions and restoring stability to the university.
In addition to his praises, Oshiomhole expressed confidence in Okpebholo’s courage to take firm decisions on the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) project. As chairman of the committee tasked with reviewing the museum’s legal and operational framework, he assured that the committee would thoroughly investigate the project to determine the proper structure whether it is indeed MOWAA or EMOWAA and clarify the roles and rights of the Benin Royal Palace and traditional institutions.
Oshiomhole emphasized that the committee would operate strictly within its terms of reference to uncover the facts and guide the government toward the appropriate actions.
