Benin City: An illusion of modernity

by Eromose Ileso

I have lived in Benin City ever since my family moved there from Afuze, Owan East Local Government area in 1984. That has been the case except when several moment of expediency took me outside it for a combined period of four years. Growing up at Oshodi Avenue in close proximity to the Bendel Pharmaceutical Company which spans through Medical and Federal roads in a neighbourhood camaraderie-ship, one could see the Edo State capital from different prism, especially with things that no longer exist today. 

Of the course of 18 years spent living in that part of the capital, there were the benefits of enjoying water from the Edo State Water Board, which was supplied from the Ikpoba River Dam at Okhoro. Even when this wasn't regular especially when there were long power outages, the water always flowed through pipes connected to different homes whenever power was restored.

Besides, the chairman of Tomline Engineering Company Elder Tes Sorae lived in that neighbourhood at the time, he regularly supplied water from taps outside his compound connected from an industrial borehole in his home. This was particularly a life saver for many especially when there was water scarcity, because the next available place for water at the time was Ikpoba River. This was a period when the private boreholes that are commonplace in the city today were non existent.

Apart from water supply, the defunct Bendel State Library Board at Okhoro road by Eghosa Grammar School was just two minutes walk from my home. It was a useful place where a community of book lovers spent their time studying. Before it was confined to the vehicle of history with epitaphs only the mind could relate to.

This period was also a time when the late sports legend Felix Okugbe took residents of Benin to the zenith of sports presentation on the state's broadcasting service. A time when Christopher Idahosa (Chris I.D.) the Reggae Messiah sang ethereal bini songs, a period when the state radio had outside broadcasting vans from where football matches from Ogbe Stadium were relayed live. An era of the Joe Fabrio on radio and the series Checkmate, Hotel de Jordan and the Rich Also Cry on television.

That was the Benin City of the past. A past mostly wrapped in the military era, when the direction of the state was premised on the state of mind of the military administrator posted to oversee it affairs.

However, taking a look at the present state of Benin City from different indices of development, a feeling of nostalgia sets in especially when one considers the fact that the state library board and the state water board are now virtually relics of history, while radio presenters with fake accents dominate the airwaves of the city.

However, it is the general state of Benin City, in terms of infrastructure and the fact that the city planners have failed to move with the times as the city has expanded beyond it core areas is what is most disturbing. Looking at the Edo State Capital, especially from the well paved and dualised Airport road, it could easily give a false impression of the city. Same goes for Akpapava, Sapele roads (up to third junction), Siluko road, 2nd East Circular road, Upper Lawani, Upper Mission, New Lagos road through Dawson road. But a cursory observation reveals a city that is wrapped in a cloak of labyrinth. Beyond Oredo Local Government area, where large spans of communities are still underdeveloped, the city has a false sense of modernity.

The city has expanded to Ovia North East to as much as Iyowa, Ikpoba Okha to Oghoghobi and beyond. Egor and Uhunmwonde to Eyean and Egba. But while the city continues to expand at a fast rate, the relevant authorities haven't mapped out plans to be ahead of the private home owners and developers. Most of the new emerging areas of the city lack any semblance of planning, paved roads are non existent, no markets, no community halls, no police stations, no government health centres, no libraries, no motor parks etc. Planning is left entirely to the community and they carry out their activities as they deem fit.

This state of affairs is a factor why the city is always on the fringes whenever it rains. This is particularly worse in areas such as Sapele road, where the depth and width of the drains cannot handle the volume of flood water as well as some areas where there are no drains. The situation around Obeh when it rains, with flood water that flows from the adjoining streets into the expressway without an outlet drain, reflects a lack of foresight on the part of the authorities that the city would expand to those areas at some point.  The same situation holds sway opposite the Army School of Transport and Supply (S&T), Isiohor where there is a large pool of flood water at the Benin-Lagos Expressway whenever it rains.

From old areas such as Saint Saviour, Uselu, Upper Adesuwa, Uwelu, Evbotubu and Texile Mill road, etc, its a tale of woes for city dwellers whenever it rains. Most are particularly cut off from accessing other areas of the city.

This is also the case from Ekosodin, Isiohor to Oluku in Ovia North East, when it rains. Most of these areas cannot boast of any paved roads, having motorable earth roads is entirely down to the effort of individuals. Where roads have been constructed, the quality of work done leaves much to be desired.

The supply of water to the new and emerging development areas in Benin is down to private boreholes sunk by house owners. The city's water infrastructure has ceased to expand and/or function in some cases, for over two decades.

A city where the markets become mudbound whenever it rains, a city where bus drivers ride their vehicles through marsh of muddy market streets, because there are no motor parks.

A city without a discernable plan for development as reflected by the informed infrastructural reality on ground cannot be said to be modern. A series of roads dualised doesn't give it a modern outlook, neither are the irregular street lights that only function in the city centre.

The question remains what is the plan of Benin City beyond Oredo and the city centre? It doesn't look as if there is one? With the city expanding at it's present rate, the environment in some areas would continue to suffer degradation. This is one reason why, some new areas are already suffering the effects of gully erosion.

It's a complete illusion to claim that Benin City is a modern state capital. It is anything, but.

The city has a long way to go in terms of attaining any semblance of modernity. When city dwellers can move freely whenever there is heavy downpour, that would be a first place to start that something new is happening in the Edo State Capital.

Besides, a place is as modern as the attitude of it inhabitants. For most residents of Benin City, the display of impunity at various times has become an habitual pass time. One of such is the violation of traffic lights by public and private vehicle owners without penalties. Some of the officers of the state traffic agency, ESTMA have been compromised. The "na my broda and na my person syndrome" has resulted in vehicle owners violating traffic rules in their presence. 

Apart from this, the way city dwellers dump their refuse into drains and at road sides is another blight on the Edo State capital. It reveals a set of people that is in total need of reorientation and complete attitudinal change. At major road arteries around the city, refuse is dumped indiscriminately. While the waste management system isn't perfect by any means, the manner in which most resident of Benin handle their waste shows they are as much of a problem holding the city backward as the authorities.

For a long time, Benin has been referred to as the ancient city, largely due to the Benin Traditional Council and the type of cultural mud houses that dots the city. Yet based on the informed infrastructural reality, there is little to show that the city has moved away from that description. To have new hotels, some dualised roads, cinemas, relaxation spots, etc. isn't enough to assert that a city is modern. 

The authorities have to develop adequate plans for the city especially in the emerging development areas and satellite towns, there should be adequate environmental assessment that would form the basis for infrastructure to be mapped out such as motor parks, police stations, markets, health centres, schools, community halls and transport hubs for the new areas emerging outside the city.

A city could attain some measure of modernity when it is properly planned, and it has a flood management system, traffic rules are observed and offenders punished, there is adequate water supply, good road infrastructure, pristine cleanliness, there is good emergency response mechanism, functional street lights and security of life and property are assured, amongst others. All these are either lacking or inadequate in Benin.

The Benin that the Portuguese explorers lauded for it's order and cleanliness when they visited in the 15th century ought to be more than it is today. That it's still known more positively for the exploits of the old Benin Empire and it present offshoot is an indictment on the authorities both past and present.

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