President Bola Tinubu has ordered an emergency intervention on the 125-kilometre Benin-Asaba Road, following worsening deterioration, severe gridlock and prolonged delays experienced by motorists and communities along the corridor.
Represented by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, the president said the intervention is aimed at responding to the hardship suffered by road users on the critical highway, linking Edo and Delta States with other parts of the country.
The president spoke on Thursday in Benin during the inauguration of the emergency intervention on the road.
He said the Benin-Asaba corridor had been concessioned under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement to the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC), with the expectation that the road would be completed within three years.
Tinubu, however, said the pace and manner of execution has fallen short of the terms of the concession agreement, resulting in worsening road conditions and hardship for motorists.
“We are here today not to witness the commencement of another road project. We are witnessing the response of a government that has heard the cries of its people and has chosen to act. That is why today’s intervention is truly a rescue operation,” he said.
Governor Okpebholo thanked Tinubu for responding to the concerns of commuters and communities along the corridor.
He also commended the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for his commitment and personal intervention in efforts to restore the road.
The governor urged the contractors handling the emergency works to ensure quality construction, comply strictly with approved specifications and complete the work within the agreed timeframe.
“To the new contractor, this is a road of great economic importance to Edo, Delta and Nigeria. We expect quality work, strict compliance with the approved project specifications, and delivery within the agreed timeframe, there must be no excuses,” he said.
Okpebholo also appealed to communities and commuters who had endured prolonged gridlock and delays to remain patient, saying their complaints had been heard.
He said the intervention should mark the beginning of the end of the hardship experienced on the Benin-Asaba corridor.
Umahi said the Federal Ministry of Works has taken over the immediate palliative rehabilitation of the road in the interest of the public.
He clarified that the temporary palliative works were not awarded to Hi-Tech or any other contractor, explaining that the ministry hired equipment for the emergency intervention.
According to him, more than 50 pieces of equipment have been deployed to the road, with additional equipment expected to be mobilised.
Umahi said the federal government decided to intervene after efforts to secure the cooperation of the concessionaire failed.
He explained that the concession agreement required the federal government to obtain the concessionaire’s permission before intervening, but the company declined the options proposed by the ministry.
The minister said the government consequently directed major contractors to work on the three sections of the Benin-Asaba Road to restore failed portions and ease the hardship faced by motorists.
He said the entire route would subsequently be redesigned for reconstruction using reinforced concrete pavement.
Umahi said the emergency works would also address sections where existing asphalt had been removed, leaving the road base exposed to rainfall and further deterioration.
The minister had previously raised concerns over the performance and handling of the road by the concessionaire as the federal government moved to engage other contractors to restore failed sections.
On the realignment of the Coastal Highway, Umahi said the route would commence from the Benin bypass through Delta and Bayelsa States to Eleme Junction.
He said the project is intended to divert traffic from the state capital and improve connectivity with Edo State and other parts of the Niger Delta.
Also speaking, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by the Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, said the Benin-Asaba corridor has remained a major challenge for residents of Delta and Edo Stats.
Oborevwori commended Tinubu for intervening to restore the road, which he described as an important link for commerce and cultural ties between the two states.
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“For us in Delta, this intervention is a welcome development because this road helps to connect commerce, culture and bring us together as a people that once existed as one state.
“This road needs to come back alive because we have all felt the embarrassment of the deplorable condition of the road.
“The decision to bring back life to this road is a decision we must appreciate President Tinubu for and indeed it shows that he listens,” he said.
The federal government’s latest intervention is expected to restore motorability on the affected sections of the road, while plans for permanent reconstruction of the corridor are developed.
