The Presidency has described the recent failure of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway as an isolated incident, saying the Federal Government responded promptly by deploying key stakeholders to the affected section and demanding immediate remedial action from the contractor.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made this known on Channels Television on Wednesday while discussing the deteriorating condition of the highway and President Bola Tinubu’s directive for its redesign and complete reconstruction.
Dare said the condition of the road should not be regarded as a reflection of the performance of federal road projects across the country, noting that several other projects had either been completed or were progressing without similar challenges.
He attributed the failure to issues associated with road construction during the rainy season but said the government had a responsibility to identify roads requiring intervention and provide the necessary funding, while contractors were expected to deliver projects according to required standards.
According to him, the contractor handling the affected section had failed in its responsibility, despite offering explanations for the situation.
His comments came a day after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, inspected the troubled section of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road in Edo State and apologised to motorists and commuters over its condition.
Umahi accepted responsibility for the state of the highway on behalf of the government and criticised the concessionaire responsible for its reconstruction. He also ordered moves towards the total reconstruction of the road after determining that palliative repairs would not provide a lasting solution.
A visit by The PUNCH to the Benin axis of the highway on Tuesday showed that the road remained in poor condition, although the severe gridlock that had affected the route for about two weeks had eased.
The Presidency said the rapid intervention by the Works Minister, members of the National Assembly and other stakeholders demonstrated the Federal Government’s response to infrastructure challenges.
Dare also defended the progress of ongoing federal road projects, arguing that motorists might have to endure temporary inconveniences while major construction works are underway.
He cited the Abuja-Lokoja corridor, which he recently travelled with about 65 journalists, as an example of a road where significant sections had been completed while construction continued on other portions.
He explained that major highways were often delivered in phases, with completed sections opened to traffic while work continued on other sections.
The presidential aide said the Federal Government was currently implementing major road projects nationwide, including five legacy projects and about 320 other roads.
He said the scale of the projects reflected the Tinubu administration’s emphasis on infrastructure development and praised the Ministry of Works for implementing its road construction programme.
The Federal Government’s renewed focus on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba corridor followed mounting complaints over its worsening condition, which has disrupted transportation, damaged vehicles and increased the cost of movement and business activities along the route.
The decision to redesign and completely reconstruct the affected highway is expected to provide a permanent solution to the recurring challenges along the corridor.