Governor Okpebholo Pledges to Rebuild Edo Broadcasting Service, Decries Dilapidated State

By Ojo Evans 

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has pledged to transform the Edo Broadcasting Service into a world-class media facility, describing the station’s current condition as unacceptable. The governor made the commitment on Monday, June 1, 2026, during an inspection visit to the EBS headquarters at Aduwawa, Benin City.

Accompanied by Speaker Blessing Agbebaku, Chief of Staff Alhaji Yakubu Musa Oshiorenua, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Prince Kassim Afegbua, and other senior officials, Okpebholo toured the station to assess its facilities firsthand. The visit followed the recent leadership change at EBS.

What the governor found troubled him. He observed a compound overgrown with weeds, a transmitter purchased by his administration since November 2025 that remained uninstalled despite significant expenditure, and broadcast facilities operating under unsafe and inadequate conditions.

“I am in pain to see this,” Okpebholo told journalists after the tour. “But I did not come here to complain. I came to fix it.” He outlined immediate and long-term measures to restore the station, noting that designs for a complete facility rebuild are already complete and procurement processes are being accelerated.

The governor committed to installing solar power equipment to ensure uninterrupted broadcast operations and resolve the chronic power issues that have constrained EBS. He also announced that two vehicles would be delivered to the station before day’s end to enable reporters to cover beats and government activities across Edo State.

“The transmitter my administration purchased will work. We will solve the power problem. We will provide the mobility you need. And we will rebuild this station,” he said. Okpebholo stressed that Edo’s recovery depends on rebuilding its institutions, adding, “It is only Edo that can build Edo.”

Acting Managing Director Festus Alenkhe welcomed the governor’s intervention and assured him that EBS would project the state government’s achievements and development agenda. He appealed for the completion of the transmitter installation and thanked the governor for regular salary payments, which he said had restored staff confidence.  

_Signed: Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo_