Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
Crusoe Osagie, media aide to former Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, has lambasted the current administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo for allegedly plunging Edo State into darkness and escalating insecurity.
In a fpress statement released on Friday and made available to Truth Live News, Osagie detailed how the governor’s neglect of the streetlight project has left the state grappling with severe consequences.
“As we speak, once it is 7 pm, the entire Edo State plunges into darkness. A recent tour of major streets within the Benin metropolis — from Akpakpava, Ekenwan Road, Mission Road, Sapele Road, Airport Road, and Third East Circular — reveals this sad reality,” Osagie lamented.
The former aide accused Governor Okpebholo of abandoning the Obaseki-led administration’s streetlight initiative, which was powered by the reliable 95MW Ossiomo Power Plant. According to Osagie, this infrastructure had transformed Edo’s night economy and significantly bolstered security, but its disuse under the new administration has caused business activities to collapse while crime surges.
Highlighting what he described as misplaced priorities, Osagie expressed outrage over Okpebholo’s focus on refurbishing a water fountain at Ring Road instead of restoring critical infrastructure.
“Incredibly, this same person who threw the State into widespread darkness and rising insecurity is bragging about his plans to revive a water fountain at Ring Road…a project that serves purely aesthetic purposes,” he said.
Osagie did not mince words, calling the fountain refurbishment a “feel-good project” and emphasizing that such initiatives should come only after addressing essential human needs.
Quoting Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Osagie argued that Governor Okpebholo’s actions show a glaring misunderstanding of governance priorities.
“Even a 100-level university student understands that physiological needs and safety rank highest in the hierarchy of needs. Refurbishing a water fountain falls under self-actualization, which is the least priority.”
He added that the fountain’s upkeep, projected to cost taxpayers at least N100 million monthly, further exemplifies the administration’s alleged fiscal irresponsibility.
Osagie concluded with a stinging critique of Governor Okpebholo’s leadership.
“Okpebholo is a politician out of his depth… He must wake up to the reality that Edo State’s resources are limited and must first address critical needs like security and infrastructure before embarking on superficial projects.”
Residents of Edo State, Osagie asserted, deserve leadership that prioritizes their safety and well-being over “aesthetic distractions.”