Why the Edo Scouts’ Visit to Ramat Park Flyover Was About Learning, Not Celebration

Why the Edo Scouts’ Visit to Ramat Park Flyover Was About Learning, Not Celebration 

By Admin

The backlash that followed the Scout Association’s tour of the newly completed Ramat Park Flyover in Benin City on AriseTV’s “Videos Trending” segment revealed a gap in understanding of civic education, youth mentorship, and civic pride. With respect, Ayo, the criticism missed the point entirely.

The segment implied that it was inappropriate for young Scouts living in Edo State to tour the flyover. The exercise was framed as an awkward fanfare for what was described as “just another government project.” That view ignores the real purpose of the visit. For context, flyovers are not everyday infrastructure in Nigeria, and this is Edo State’s first. There is nothing “routine” about it.

Thankfully, Dr. Reuben Abati stepped in quickly to set the record straight.

The critics seemed unaware of the Scout movement’s core values: building character, nurturing leadership, encouraging community service, and learning through experience. 

The trip to Ramat Park Flyover gave these young people a practical lesson they could not get from a classroom, TV show, or social media scroll. They saw, up close, how a major public investment works , how it is designed to reduce traffic, improve movement, and make life easier for residents of Benin City.

Experiential learning remains one of the strongest ways to teach. Instead of only reading about governance and development, the Scouts witnessed a promise turned into concrete and steel. For many of them, seeing a modern infrastructure project in their own city is both rare and inspiring. Flyovers are still uncommon across Nigeria, and there is no shame in young citizens feeling proud of progress in their community. Such moments build attachment to place and sharpen civic consciousness.

The Ramat Park Flyover is a flagship project under Governor Monday Okpebholo’s SHINE Agenda. Beyond easing traffic, it reflects the administration’s commitment to upgrading public infrastructure and building a more efficient transport system for Edo people.

More importantly, the visit taught the Scouts a core lesson in citizenship: that government projects can move from blueprint to reality, and that policy decisions have visible impact on daily life. These are vital lessons for the next generation of leaders.

We must never stop asking tough questions about government projects. Scrutiny around quality, cost, engineering standards, maintenance, and impact is healthy for democracy and accountability. That is legitimate criticism.

But faulting young people for touring and learning from a completed public facility misses the bigger picture. The Scouts were not doing politics. They were engaged in education, expanding their understanding of how development works in their state.

Far from being embarrassing, the Ramat Park Flyover visit showed why it matters to help young people recognize, understand, and value the progress happening around them.

Culled from Dr. Ebojele Patrick

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State.