Why FG Must Act Now to End Benin-Asaba Road Nightmare — Okpebholo

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has expressed deep disappointment over the deplorable state of the Benin-Asaba Road, urging the Federal Government to take decisive action to end the suffering of commuters and residents using the major highway.

Governor Okpebholo spoke on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ engagement on the Benin-Asaba Road, held at the Edo State Government House, Benin City, where Minister of Works, David Umahi, called on the concessionaire handling the road to initiate the process for termination of its contract.

The Governor said the condition of the road was unacceptable after 16 months, stressing that the failure to make meaningful progress on the project amounted to a waste of resources and had subjected Edo people and other road users to untold hardship.

“Looking at the project at hand, looking at the road itself, looking at the suffering of the people and looking at how that road was before now, I felt sorry for those plying the road, especially Edo people,” Okpebholo said.

He added: “What we are seeing now is not what I should be seeing at this point after 16 months. Nothing has been done. To me, it is a total waste of resources. Whatever amount that has been put there, for me, is a total waste.”

The Governor, who said the poor state of the road was evident to everyone, questioned the capacity and competence of the concessionaire to deliver the project.

“You can’t give what you don’t have. If they are competent, by now we should have seen some part of this road completed. You don’t need to tell a layman that something is wrong on that road. These people are not serious about completing this job,” he said.

Okpebholo consequently appealed to the Minister of Works to “do the needful”, stressing that Edo residents were watching developments closely and that the Benin-Asaba Road was too important to the state and the country to remain in its current condition.

“Whatever happens here goes round the entire country. Let’s proffer solutions to this issue. There must be a way out. This is a major road,” the Governor said.

Earlier, Umahi appealed to the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC) to formally write to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works to facilitate the termination of its concession agreement.

The Minister also directed the concessionaire to immediately remove all blockages on the highway to restore the free flow of traffic.

Umahi said the Federal Ministry of Works would request the Independent Engineer to measure the works already executed on the project, excluding what he described as “negative work”.

According to him, the removal of asphalt contrary to contractual specifications would not be recognised as work done, while the cost of rectifying any damage caused would also be determined.

The Minister further directed that affected sections of the road be reconstructed under the supervision of the Independent Engineer, while the concessionaire should provide a technical design for proper stormwater canalisation.

He also ordered the restoration of removed asphalt and the redirection of water currently channelled onto the carriageway.

Responding, Head of Legal and Compliance of BAECC, Mr Peterson Fabian, appealed for more time for stakeholders to explore possible solutions, saying the discussions were not yet conclusive.

However, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, a member of the Senate Committee on Works, described the condition of the road as “terrible”, questioning the capacity of the concessionaire to handle a project of such magnitude.

The stakeholders’ meeting ended with renewed calls for urgent intervention to restore the Benin-Asaba corridor, one of the major transport routes linking Edo and Delta states and serving thousands of commuters and businesses daily.