*NEWS EDITORIAL*
*By: Festus Alenkhe*
*Title: _“From Dilapidation to Dignity: How Governor Monday Okpebholo Has Won the Hearts of Edo People Through Education”*_
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On Monday, September 14th, 2026, the sound of school bells will ring again across the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo State.
But this is not just another resumption. This is a resumption with new roofs, new desks, new teachers, new hope.
It is the clearest proof yet that under *Governor Monday Okpebholo*, education in Edo State has moved from the margins of politics to the center of governance. And in doing so, he has quietly, steadily, won the heart of the people.
*1. MEETING THE PEOPLE WHERE THEY HURT MOST*
For years, parents in Edo complained of the same things: leaking classrooms, no chairs, unpaid teachers, and children learning under trees.
When Governor Okpebholo came into office, he asked one simple question during his first town hall meeting in Irrua: _“If we fix one thing for your children, what should it be?”_
The answer was unanimous: *“Our schools.”*
He took it personally. Because he understands that an educated child is a protected future.
*2. INFRASTRUCTURE: BUILDING CLASSROOMS, RESTORING DIGNITY*
Within a year and half, the Okpebholo administration has embarked on what the Ministry of Education now calls *“Operation Back to Class.”*
*Key interventions statewide:*
– *Renovation of 450 public primary and secondary schools* across Edo North, Edo Central, and Edo South. Broken windows replaced, toilets rebuilt, and perimeter fences erected for safety.
– *Provision of 120,000 new desks and chairs.* For the first time in a decade, JSS1 students in Auchi, Benin city, Uromi, and Ekpoma are not sitting on the floor to learn, like in the past.
– *Solar-powered learning in rural areas.* 78 schools in riverine and hinterland communities now have solar panels and fans, so heat is no longer excuses to close early.
– *Digital labs.* 60 Smart Classrooms have been equipped with computers and internet, with teachers trained to meet the challenges ahead.
At EBS, we visited a primary school in Owan West last week. A headteacher told us: _“Last year, rain was our timetable. This year, we have a roof. The Governor remembered us.”_
*3. TEACHERS: THE HEARTBEAT OF THE REFORM*
Buildings alone don’t teach. Governor Okpebholo knew this.
His administration:
– *Cleared 8 months of arrears* owed to EdoBEST teachers of the past administration and restored regular salary payment.
– *Recruited 6,000 new teachers* through a merit-based process, with priority to STEM, special education, and language instructors.
– *Launched the “Teacher Dignity Package”* — health insurance, housing support, and training grants. For the first time, teaching is being sold again as a respected profession in Edo state.
At the training center in Benin, a young teacher from Oredo told me: _“Before, we were volunteers with certificates. Now we are professionals with a future.”_
*4. ACCESS & EQUITY: NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND*
The Governor’s education policy has a name the people understand: *“Every Edo Child Must Learn.”*
– *Girl-Child and Special Needs Initiative* — Schools now have ramps, learning aids, and female hygiene support, driving enrollment of girls up, by 22% in one year.
– *Technical & Vocational revival.* technical colleges have been retooled with new workshops for carpentry, ICT, and agriculture, to fight youth unemployment.
*5. WHY THE PEOPLE’S HEARTS HAVE SHIFTED*
Politics is judged by what people see and feel.
In Udomi, a market woman said: _“I don’t know politics. But my grandson now has a chair and books. That is government.”_
In Agenebode, a father said: _“We used to send money for chalk. Now the school sends books home.”_
In Okhuessan, a parent said, l am now happy as my son returns to school to meet good teachers.
Governor Okpebholo did not just announce policies. He showed up. He commissioned classrooms with instructional materials. He sat with PTA members. He listened.
That is why when Edo state government announced that *all schools statewide will resume on Monday, fully prepared*, the reaction in WhatsApp groups and motor parks was that “Finally our children are set for sound ,qualitative and standard education again.”_
*6. THE ROAD AHEAD*
The work is not finished. Teacher housing, tertiary funding, and out-of-school children remain challenges.
But Monday’s resumption marks a turning point. The foundation has been poured. The message is clear: *In Edo, education is no longer a campaign promise. It is a governing priority.*
As students return with new books in new bags to renovated schools, one thing is certain — Governor Monday Okpebholo has not just built classrooms. He has built trust.
And in a democracy, that is how you win the people’s heart.
*God bless Edo State.*
*God bless Governor Monday Okpebholo.*
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_Festus Alenkhe is a journalist and Broadcaster with Edo Broadcasting Service, Benin City._
