Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has renewed concerns over the deteriorating condition of federal roads across the Niger Delta, accusing the Federal Ministry of Works of neglecting the region in the allocation of funds for road rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Speaking during plenary in the Senate, Oshiomhole alleged that the Minister of Works had shown bias against the Niger Delta by failing to prioritise the repair of major federal highways serving the region.
Drawing the attention of Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents Delta Central Senatorial District, Oshiomhole said the deplorable state of roads linking Benin City to Sapele, Warri, Bayelsa State and Kogi State had made travel increasingly difficult for motorists and residents.
According to the former Edo State governor, journeys that should ordinarily take a short time have become arduous due to the poor condition of the highways.
“There is no point allocating money to construct new roads when the older ones are in shambles,” Oshiomhole said while urging the Federal Government to prioritise the rehabilitation of existing road infrastructure.
His remarks have since generated widespread reactions from Nigerians, particularly on social media, with many commending the senator for raising concerns about the condition of roads in the Niger Delta.
Several commenters described Oshiomhole as “the senator of the people,” praising him for speaking on issues affecting commuters and residents in Edo, Delta and neighbouring states.
Others argued that he had become a strong voice for the region in the National Assembly, with some expressing the view that more lawmakers should emulate his style of representation.
Some respondents also criticised elected representatives from parts of the Niger Delta, alleging that they had not done enough to draw attention to the worsening state of federal roads in their constituencies.
A number of road users echoed Oshiomhole’s concerns, describing the Benin–Sapele–Warri highway as a major challenge to transportation and economic activities. Some claimed that trips which previously lasted less than an hour now take several hours because of the poor condition of the road, while also expressing concerns about security risks, including kidnapping, along the affected routes.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Ministry of Works had not publicly responded to Oshiomhole’s allegations regarding funding allocation or the condition of the affected federal highways.
