The creator almighty built into this world certain patterns that we call the laws of nature and everything functions according to these patterns. When it is time for the rain to drop nobody can stop it even when some claim to have powers to hold it.
Sometimes the rain could be a source of joy especially to the farmers while at other times it comes with sorrows, tears and regrets through flooding, which has made many homeless, and even bereaved . The lord is responsible for all such supernatural works which are beyond the power of man.
In the Holy Scriptures, Our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, also did many miracles when he was on earth. He healed the sick, raised the dead and changed lives. That was several decades ago.
In Edo State today, the Governor, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, in the estimation of the vibrant opposition in the state is expected to be a miracle worker who they believe must perform miracles, like Jesus Christ to put a permanent stop to the twin problems of flooding and erosion in the state in a twinkle of the eye.
These critics of the governor have so much confidence on the professor of law, to perform miracles in the task of transforming the Heart Beat state. They are optimistic that what the previous administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion could not do in eight years, the miracle worker should be able to accomplish in less than eighteen months.
When it rains in Benin City and some streets are flooded, fingers are quickly pointed at Prof.Osunbor who they expect should by now have cleared all the drains in Edo state and tarred all the roads, streets and lanes in the three senatorial districts down to all the villages.
Even when visitors who had visited Edo State, prior to 29th May, 2007, now see and notice glaringly marked difference between Benin City before and what it is today, as for the opposition, those testimonies are not important to them. All they are concerned about is that the governor has failed to perform their expectations- Miracle.
But the governor in his humility has consistently admitted that, “We have not completely solved the problems, but they are remarkably better than what they were before”.
The critics, led by Adams Oshiomhole, the Action congress governorship candidate in Edo State, ignore such simple fact that the revenue allocation from the federal government added to the internal generated revenue in the next four years cannot clear all the drainages and gutters in all parts of the state to stop flooding due to the long neglect of the drainage system by the immediate past administration.
They have refused to appreciate what the state government has done by executing projects of importance to the people, based on available resources, since it is practically impossible to embark on the execution of all the problems in the state all at once.
It was the importance attached to the flooding and erosion problems that led the government to immediately on assumption of office to award contracts for flood and erosion control measures such as the desilting and maintenance of drains at some important areas of the state which had been blocked due to long neglect by the previous administration. It could not have been possible to complete all the identified spots throughout the state at the same time.
While making a distinction between flooding and erosion, the governor had noted that the administration has already committed the sum of N350 million to at least halt the rate of expansion at the queen Ede erosion site, somewhere behind Guinness, Bendel Brewery, along Agbor road, which was expanding at a very fast pace where some buildings had already caved in.
“It will require billions to be able to arrest that erosion, but we want to ensure it does not expand. If the previous administration had nipped it in the bud, then it will not be the monster it is today. If we did not intervene quickly, the Agbor road was under threat and if we had not done that perhaps at the end of this rainy season, the road would have been cut into two”.
It is therefore mischievous for somebody to conclude that the flooding in Benin City which wreaked havoc and claimed lives and properties recently would have been solved if the government had cleaned up the city drainage system before embarking on its road rehabilitation across the state.
In the words of Governor Osunbor, on the challenges of flooding , he said, “ One of the very first things we did was to ensure that we cleared the drains, desilted the gutters, and constructed new ones when necessary, that is why for instance in Uselu- Ugbowo, the floods are no more being experienced there”.
The governor who personally was at one of the drainage site, was shocked and amazed to find out that gutters use to exist in some areas, particularly at Akpakpava, Ikpoba slope down to the river.
“When I took a tour of some areas I did not know that gutters existed there, but by the time we started digging, we found out there are good gutters all over there. It just required clearing out this gutters to take floods out of our streets’, he noted.
Osunbor recalled his experience while campaigning as a governorship aspirant. “I was coming from Edo Central to Benin City and at Ikpoba hill, I found out we could not get to the Ikpoba Bridge, because it was impassable due to the flood that was crossing the road. Those who went there said the flood could carry a trailer. I could not pass into Benin City, which I was seeing. We had to go through the bye pass to take the University of Benin by Ugbowo, but we found out that it was worse and we had to retreat back home. To me that marked a very important point in my desire that when by the grace of God, I become governor, I will ensure that people don’t go through that inconvenience and I have been able to fulfill that pledge, no matter how heavy it is raining you can enter Benin City and go out today”.
The critics in the state will disagree with the governor that the flood situation is now under control in Benin City, the capital of Edo state, but they should understand that there are deliberate actions by the government towards solving the Herculean problem which will definitely take some time.
Therefore, those accusing the government of negligence of duty over the flooding in Bnin City are not been fair because it is only a miracle that can stop the magnitude of flooding across the state in a short time. However, it is good news to know that there are positive steps that have since been taken to actualize the designs submitted by consultants for the control of flooding and erosion in parts of Benin City through surface and underground drainages.
The governor, who visited some of the areas affected by the flooding in Benin City, for on the spot assessment, assured the people of the state that the government will not relent in its determination to tackle the flood and erosion problems in the state.
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