Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin City
Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Ltd has said it decided to intervene in some failed portions of the Benin-Sapele-Warri highway with palliative as part of its corporate and social responsibility (CSR)
The management of the refinery disclosed this while rounding off the repairs. The refinery that it was concerned about stories of fallen trucks on the highway.
It said the company decided to intervene to prevent trucks and heavy duty vehicles from suffering further breakdown and loss of goods.
The palliative work was done at various sections of the road. These include Iyanomo, Ekosa, Obayantor, Ologbo and Koko junction in Delta State.
Head of Technical Operations of the Edo Refinery, Segun Okeni, said the intervention was to prevent an incident that happenned five years ago when an oil tanker carryimg petrol fell at one of the bad spots in Ologbo that resulted in fire that killed over 20 persons.
Okeni said the firm acted promptly to repair the spot after the accident.
He said the failed portions have been affecting the firm’s operations as tankers spent days on the highway before gaining access into the refiney to load products.
“Our refinery is just about two kilometres ahead. And this area happens to be part of the area of coverage of our CSR.
“They approached us to help them fix the failed sections because most of their people cannot go out of the area. Our chairman was around during that period, and he saw the level of damage to the road, and even on that same day, we have like five trucks that fell along the road. He authorized that we should just undertake this.
“It is not directly affecting our production but you know trucks that come for loading at times when the road is blocked they will not be able to access the facility and that can affect our operation,” Okeni added.
Managing Director of SODEOSA Global Resources, the civil engineering girm that executed the palliative repairs, Mr. Solomon Uyiekpen, said commuters experienced suffering on the road before the intervention.
He said he collaborated with the Edo Refinery to fix the road as a CSR to the communities around the area.
A member of the Obayantor community, Kennedy Nwazekwu, said the repair work would stop incessant accidents on the road.
He said over 20 persons have been killed when their vehicles fell into the ditch.
Also speaking at Koko Junction, a member of the community, Agofure Eriwona, commended Edo Refinery for carrying out the project, saying that the repair work would ease movement of vehicles in the area.