There are cities in Nigeria that carry within their chest a quiet dignity. Cities that were sculpted not only by the chisel of geography but also by the deliberate hand of visionary leadership. Enugu, the Coal City, stands today as one such wonder. A place where roads weave in elegant symmetry, creating an eclectic network that confers both order and beauty upon the city. The serenity of its neighbourhoods, the neatness of its boulevards, and the almost effortless transition between its commercial arteries and residential lungs, all speak of a certain intentionality.

Through casual conversations and curious inquiries, I discovered the source of this order. The bulk of these roads were laid not by the loud claimants of progress, but by Sullivan Iheanacho Chime — the Governor who succeeded Chimaroke Nnamani. Where Nnamani was accused, and not without reason, of reducing governance to an Agbani family trust, Chime quietly unrolled asphalt across the length and breadth of Enugu. The result is evident today: of all the Governors of the Fourth Republic, it is only Sullivan Chime who can still walk freely and proudly through the streets of Enugu. His name evokes gratitude, not anathema. His works are not just remembered; they are lived, every day, by every commuter and pedestrian in that City of uncanny calmness; calmness that surpases all understanding.

Enugu does not only enthral by its order; it seduces by its flavours. I tasted their ofe nsala — thick, exotic, aromatic, brimming with chicken parts and smoked, dried fish of an unforgettable texture. It is a soup that sings of heritage and comfort. In that moment, I understood why Davido, in the heat of his artistry, sang of ofe nsala. It is not just food; it is poetry in a bowl. God bless Enugu City, indeed.

THE BENIN DISGRACE

Benin, the ancient city of Oba Esigie and Ewuare the Great, ought to be the crown jewel of urban civilisation in Nigeria. Instead, it stands today as a sprawling embarrassment, a jungle of potholes and shattered roads. Save for a few outer routes refurbished during the Adams Oshiomhole years, and a sprinkling of public housing infrastructure interventions under Godwin Obaseki, the heart of Benin is in ruins. From Lucky Igbinedion through Oserheimen Osunbor to Oshiomhole and Obaseki, the story has been one of neglect, failure, and shame. The inner roads of Benin are today a torment to motorists and pedestrians alike — muddy rivers in the rains, choking dust bowls in the dry season.

Contrast this with Enugu. A city once a provincial headquarters now wears the look of quiet European modesty, while Benin, cradle of one of Africa’s greatest empires, has been reduced to a slum by successive Governors who lacked vision, courage, or love for the city they swore to govern.

A WARNING TO GOVERNOR MONDAY OKPEBHOLO

Governor Monday Okpebholo stands today at a forked road in history. He must decide whether he will be remembered as a mere provincial caretaker, or as a statesman who lifted the burdens of his people. Let it be said with all clarity: he must not be Edo’s Chimaroke Nnamani. He must not reduce the sacred trust of governorship into a parochial project of clan and corner.

Benin is not just another city. It is the glory of Edo, the emblem of the southern minorities, the signpost of the Edoid people, and above all, the cradle of black civilisation. Few cities in Africa have shaped the world’s imagination as Benin has. Its bronzes adorn the greatest museums in Europe and America. Its history is taught in global universities. Beyond Lagos and Abuja, it is arguably Nigeria’s most recognised city. To neglect Benin, therefore, is not only to betray Edo South but to wound the very prestige of Edo State, Nigeria, and the black race itself.

Governor Okpebholo must take heed: investments in Benin are not provincial indulgences; they are civilisational imperatives. Every road paved, every streetlight fixed, every drain unblocked in Benin is a statement to the world that Nigeria honours its heritage. To abandon Benin is to abandon Nigeria’s place in history. To elevate Benin is to elevate Africa’s dignity before the nations.

Power is fleeting, but legacy is eternal. The bulldozers of time will soon clear away his tenure, but only the roads he builds, or fails to build, will testify in his defence. If he ignores Benin, he will join the long, sorry procession of leaders whose names are spoken with disdain. If he rises to the challenge, if he paves Benin’s inner roads, restores its dignity, and makes it once more the pride of Edo and the envy of Nigeria, then he will walk the streets as Sullivan Chime does in Enugu, with gratitude following his steps.

THE LESSON FOR EDO AND NIGERIA

The lesson is clear: leadership is not about slogans, white papers, or media posturing. It is about roads, water, electricity, housing, and dignity. It is about doing for the people what they cannot do for themselves. It is about the legacy of asphalt, not the fleeting noise of propaganda. Sullivan Chime proved that one man, with discipline and vision, can etch his name permanently in the grateful memory of a people. Edo deserves the same.

The shame of Benin’s roads must be reversed. Our leaders must understand that history does not record excuses, only results. Until our inner roads are paved, until our citizens can commute without cursing under their breath, Edo will remain a paradox — wealthy in heritage but poor in governance.

Enugu has shown the way. Edo must learn. And in learning, Edo will not only restore dignity to its people but also to Nigeria, and to the black race whose cradle of civilisation, Benin has always been.

Benin is a city whose destiny will never be erased. Its bronzes, though stolen, still gleam in foreign museums as ambassadors of our genius. Its moats still whisper of an engineering that baffled the world. Its palace still stands as the citadel of African civilisation. And so, its streets must shine as bright as the bronzes looted from it. Its roads must flow as smoothly as the stories of its past.

Benin must rise again, not in words, but in works. For when Benin stands in dignity, Edo will stand. Nigeria will stand. And the black race, whose cradle it is, will once more stand proud among the nations of the earth.