By Staff Reporter
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has apologised to commuters and residents of Edo and Delta states over the deplorable condition of the Benin-Agbor Road, promising urgent government intervention to ease the hardship being experienced by road users.
Umahi tendered the apology on Tuesday in Benin City during an inspection tour of major federal roads in Edo State alongside Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The minister also directed officials of the Federal Ministry of Works to arrest any contractor or concessionaire found removing asphalt from federal roads without proper authorisation.
According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Dr Patrick Akhere Ebojele, Umahi expressed disappointment with the concessionaire handling the Benin-Agbor Road, accusing the company of lacking the technical capacity required to execute the project.
The minister said he had personally observed the removal of asphalt from the road during an earlier inspection with Governor Okpebholo and had directed the contractor to stop the practice.
He described the unauthorised removal of asphalt as an act of destruction of public infrastructure and stressed that such action was contrary to the policies of the Ministry of Works.
“I apologise to commuters plying this road. The people of Edo, the people of Delta State and all the people using this road,” Umahi said.
“I am very, very disappointed with this concessionaire. I offer apologies. I take full responsibility for the misdeed and for the destruction of public assets because I have the bill of quantity here; I have the conditions here.”
He added that the ministry would not permit contractors to remove asphalt from federal roads without approval.
Umahi further said the Federal Government had a responsibility to ensure that concessionaires possessed the necessary technical competence and track record before being awarded major road projects.
According to him, the concessionaire handling the Benin-Agbor Road did not have a sufficient track record and reputation before taking over the project.
The minister said President Bola Tinubu was aware of the suffering caused by the condition of the road and had directed the Ministry of Works to take all necessary steps to restore the road and alleviate the hardship faced by commuters.
He explained that although concession agreements were governed by law, the government could invoke overriding public interest where necessary to protect citizens and critical infrastructure.
Umahi also warned that the continued deterioration of the road could create security risks for government officials and the concessionaire, urging that public frustration should not be allowed to degenerate into violence.
He commended Governor Okpebholo for intervening in the rehabilitation of several federal roads across Edo State, noting that the governor had demonstrated commitment to infrastructure development.
The minister also thanked Edo youths for remaining calm despite the hardship caused by the poor condition of the Benin-Agbor Road.
Okpebholo appeals for calm
Speaking during the inspection, Governor Okpebholo appealed to residents and youths in communities along the affected road to remain calm, assuring them that the Federal Government was concerned about their plight.
The governor said President Tinubu had demonstrated concern about the challenges facing Edo State and had continued to respond to the state’s needs.
He recalled the deplorable condition of the Benin-Ekpoma Road and said he had previously raised the matter with the President, who assured him that the road would be reconstructed.
“Our President is the man that listens to his children. Something like this happened on that road in the past; there was traffic that lasted for over three months,” Okpebholo said.
“The cry over the Benin-Agbor Road happened a few days ago. Now, the President has sent the minister to come and see things for himself and take the message back to him.”
The governor urged residents not to be misled by information circulating on social media, insisting that the President was committed to addressing the state’s infrastructure challenges.
Okpebholo further described Edo as a gateway linking the South-South, South-West and northern parts of Nigeria, warning that unrest in the state could have wider consequences.
Concessionaire blames rainfall
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the concessionaire handling the road, Samuel Daramola, attributed the slow pace of work to heavy rainfall.
Daramola said the company had resorted to palliative repairs to keep traffic moving while work continued on the road.
The inspection tour was attended by members of the National Assembly, senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Works and other stakeholders.
