By Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—WITH less than 48 hours to President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Edo State, Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolemenmen, has called on citizens of the state to support the President’s re-election bid in view of the numerous projects he has cited in the state since he came into office in 2011.

Speaking with newsmen in Benin, yesterday, the minister listed the dualisation of the Benin- Akure (Phase 1) of the Benin- Akure- Shagamu Road, the on-going dualisation of the Benin-Okene-Lokoja- Abuja highway, the location of the National Institute of Construction Technology, Uromi, which he said had taken off and the completion of the Ihovbo Power Plant Project in Benin City.

Others include the construction of the Auchi- Ekperi-Wepa-Wano Road with two bridges, the construction of a pedestrian bridge across the Auchi Polytechnic Gate to save the Polytechnic students from accidents, award of contract for the dualisation of Uromi-Agbor-Abraka-Sapele Road to four contracting firms, and the backing of the Azura Power Plant.

He said that the Federal Government has established a gas station in Edo State where alternative source of energy for motor vehicles would be sourced, adding that under the Jonathan regime, long queues at petrol stations across the country have become a thing of the past.

Onolemenmen disclosed that before the inception of the Jonathan administration, only 4,500 kilometers of federal roads were motorable as against 25,000 kilometers now motorable.

He said that the Federal Government has been tackling the flash points on the Benin- Auchi-Okene-Lokoja Road, including the Ewu Hill, and the construction of an underground tunnel at Auchi- Fugar Junction to minimize accidents on the highway.

On education, the minister disclosed that President Jonathan has approved the release of N3 billion counterpart marching Universal Basic Education, UBE, fund for primary and secondary schools in Edo State, including for the training of over 12,000 teachers.

He lamented that the Edo State Government had accessed only N1.7 billion of the amount and challenged the state to do so now to enable education to get to the door steps of the citizens of the state.