The Federal Government has appealed to the concessionaire handling the reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Highway to allow the Federal Ministry of Works to bring in competent contractors to execute the project, citing the concessionaire’s lack of capacity.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, made the appeal on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ meeting in Government House, Benin City, convened to address the persistent gridlock and complaints from motorists along the 125-kilometre road.
Umahi said the concessionaire had failed to add value to the project, 16 months after work commenced.
“We are therefore pleading with you to give us written approval to proceed in this manner, we believe this is the way forward,” the minister said.
The minister also issued a series of directives aimed at easing the hardship faced by commuters along the road.
He ordered BAECC to urgently clear all blockages on the highway to ensure the free flow of traffic and directed that affected sections be reconstructed under the supervision of the Independent Engineer.
Umahi further directed the concessionaire to restore all removed asphalt, redirect water being channelled onto the carriageway and provide a technical design for proper stormwater canalisation.
He said the Federal Ministry of Works would write to the Independent Engineer to take measurements of the work completed, excluding what he described as “negative work.”
“When you remove asphalt contrary to the contract and contrary to the specifications, that is negative work. It will not be recognised as part of the value of work done. In fact, the cost of rectifying the damage must also be established,” Umahi said.
“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 place,” he added.
Responding, the Head of Legal and Compliance of BAECC, Mr Peterson Fabian, appealed to all parties to allow more time for further engagement.
“I believe that everything that is being discussed here is not conclusive in itself. We will have a more robust collaborative way of handling things going forward,” Fabian said.
“Every stakeholder here, do allow us to have more time to engage. I believe that we will have more pathways forward to further collaborate.”
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, expressed disappointment over the condition of the road, describing the situation as a “total waste of resources.”
“What we are seeing now is not what I should be seeing at this point after 16 months. Nothing has been done,” Okpebholo said.
“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. Minister, I advise that you do the needful. Edo people are watching.”
Senator Allwell Onyesoh of the Senate Committee on Works also condemned the concession arrangement, saying commuters had described the situation as “terrible.”
“The concessionaires and whoever pushed for this concessionaire did not mean well for Nigeria, and this is a big lesson about concessionaires in Nigeria,” Onyesoh said.
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