By Jane Salihu
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has ordered the immediate arrest of any contractor caught stripping asphalt from existing carriageways.
Umahi gave the directive on Tuesday during an on-the-spot assessment of the 125-kilometre Benin-Asaba highway, following complaints over the deteriorating condition of sections of the road.
The minister, who was accompanied by members of the National Assembly Committees on Works, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, representatives of the Presidency, the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, apologised to motorists and host communities over the hardship caused by the ongoing reconstruction and expansion works.
He faulted the concessionaire, Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited, for what he described as unprofessional conduct and slow pace of work despite repeated warnings from the ministry and the Independent Engineer, Yolas Consultants Limited.
According to him, the concessionaire’s construction methodology is negatively affecting motorists, host communities and the progress of the project, stressing that engineering best practices must be observed.
Umahi also condemned the removal of asphalt from motorable sections of the highway, noting that the action was destroying already stabilised portions of the road.
He consequently directed all Federal Controllers of Works and Engineering Representatives to arrest any contractor who completely strips asphalt from an existing road.
“Contractors must not be allowed to destroy existing carriageways in the name of reconstruction,” he said, insisting that construction must be carried out in a manner that protects road users and preserves usable sections of the road.
To provide immediate relief to motorists, the minister said a competent contractor would be engaged to fix critically failed sections of the highway.
He assured road users and host communities that the Federal Government was aware of their plight and was taking steps to restore smooth movement along the corridor.
The Benin-Asaba highway, which runs from the AIF Roundabout in Benin City, Edo State, to Summit Junction in Asaba, Delta State, is a strategic federal highway linking the South-South and South-East with parts of the South-West.
The road is one of the pilot corridors under the Highway Development and Management Initiative being executed through a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
Explaining the slow pace of work, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of BAECC, Mr Samuel Daramola, attributed the challenges to high traffic volume and heavy rainfall.
But Umahi dismissed the explanations as “unprofessional and untenable excuses,” stressing that the concessionaire must find practical solutions to ensure the project progresses without subjecting road users to unnecessary hardship.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Akin Alabi, expressed concern over the state of the highway and sympathised with motorists and host communities.
They described the situation observed during the inspection as unacceptable and pledged to pursue a broader review of concession agreements nationwide to ensure strict compliance with agreed terms.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South-South, Mrs Gift Johnbull, assured residents that President Bola Tinubu was aware of their plight and had directed that lasting solutions be found.
Okpebholo also appealed for patience from motorists and residents, assuring them that measures were being put in place to address the challenges.
A follow-up meeting involving all stakeholders in the Benin-Asaba highway project is scheduled for Wednesday at the Edo State Government House to review the situation and agree on further steps to accelerate the project and ease the suffering of road users.
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