The Federal Government has moved to terminate the concession agreement for the Benin-Asaba Expressway, following growing concerns over the deteriorating condition of the road and the hardship faced by commuters.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, made the move on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ engagement held at the Edo State Government House in Benin.
Umahi appealed to the concessionaire, the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC), to formally write to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works to facilitate the termination of the contract.
He also directed the concessionaire to immediately remove all blockages on the highway to restore the free flow of traffic.
According to the minister, the concessionaire had failed to add value to the project and should be removed from the site within the limits of the Federal Government’s contractual rights.
He directed the Federal Ministry of Works to ask the Independent Engineer to assess and measure all works carried out on the project, excluding what he described as “negative work.”
Umahi explained that the removal of asphalt contrary to the contract and project specifications would not be recognised as part of the value of work done. He added that the cost of repairing the damage caused by such activities would also be determined.
The minister said the government was not convinced that the concessionaire currently had the capacity to properly reinstate the affected portions of the road.
“We have not stopped you from working, but if you continue doing what you are currently doing, we are not convinced that you will be able to avert the potential for public disorder in that area,” Umahi said.
He directed that the affected sections of the road be reconstructed under the supervision of the Independent Engineer.
The concessionaire was also instructed to provide a technical design for proper stormwater canalisation, restore all damaged asphalt, redirect water that had been channelled onto the carriageway and ensure the immediate restoration of free traffic flow.
Responding, the Head of Legal and Compliance of BAECC, Peterson Fabian, appealed to the Federal Government and other stakeholders to allow the company more time to explore suitable options.
Fabian said the discussions at the meeting were not yet conclusive and called for a more collaborative approach to resolving the crisis.
Also speaking, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, a member of the Senate Committee on Works, described the condition of the Benin-Asaba road as terrible and said the development had exposed the risks associated with concessioning major infrastructure projects to companies without the required capacity.
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, expressed disappointment over the condition of the road, particularly the suffering being experienced by commuters and residents of the state.
Okpebholo said it was unacceptable that 16 months after the project commenced, little or no meaningful progress had been recorded.
“Whatever amount that has been put there, for me, is a total waste,” the governor said, stressing that the road was a major national infrastructure requiring urgent intervention.
He urged the Minister of Works to take decisive action to resolve the situation, assuring that the people of Edo State were watching developments closely.
“Let’s proffer solutions to this issue. There must be a way out. This is a major road,” Okpebholo said.
