***Apologises to Nigerians, calls stakeholders meeting to review concession agreement
***S-South roads ‘ve been starved—PANDEF
***It took me 3 days to deliver cargo from Lagos to Asaba — Driver
By Samuel Oyadongha, Jimitota Onoyume, Egufe Yafugborhi, Ozioruva Aliu and Efe Onodjae
LAGOS — As Nigerians lament the poor state of roads across the country, the Federal Government said yesterday it will review all concessioned roads to ensure the terms of contract were met to ease the pains of the people.
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, who disclosed this when he went on an on-the-spot assessment of the concessioned Benin-Asaba highway, tongue-lashed the concession company, BAECC, over poor handling of the project.
He said the company had ‘’failed woefully’’ as it lacked the technical knowledge to handle the job, and called for a meeting of all stakeholders to review the situation.
He also promised that government will bring a contractor to make the road motorable in the short term.
Motorists have been trapped on the highway for several days due to many failed sections of the road.
Passengers traveling from Benin through Agbor to Asaba are facing increasing hardship due to the failed portions of the highway, traffic congestion and diversions which, combined, were prolonging journey times along the corridor.
The Benin-Asaba highway was concessioned to BAECC in 2025, to turn the road to a 10-lane highway and the project was to have been completed with toll gates in September 2027, to enable the company recoup its investment and maintain the road for 25 years.
But Umahi said the concessionaire would have been arrested for destroying public property because it removed existing asphalt, contrary to advice, thus subjecting the road to hazards.
While commending Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State for his intervention in lots of federal roads across the state, Umahi said: “He is not saying this is federal or state road. I apologise to commuters plying this road.
“The NDDC is willing to intervene. I am disappointed with the concessionaire. I take full responsibility for their misdeed and destruction of public assets.
“Ministry of Works does not allow removal of asphalt. We begged them not to remove it. The concessionaire should have been arrested for destroying public property. This road was not like this when it was handed over. I am instructing the ministry to arrest any concessionaire that removes asphalt on existing roads.”
He accused the concessionaire of manipulating the process to get the job.
Concessionaire blames rains
On his part, the BAECC chief executive officer, Mr. Samuel Daramola, blamed heavy rains for the slow pace of work.
Daramola, who noted that heavy vehicular traffic on the highway made it impossible for the firm to construct side drains, said: “We expanded the road. We have expanded to eight lanes. We did palliative work for some months. We are wrestling with weather as much as we want to keep to the scope of work.
“We expected our palliative work to have been completed long ago. We have to choose between doing side drains and combating heavy traffic. We are compelled to open the road when it is yet to cure. We have to do the work over again.
“We are funding this road with our money. How do we start with drains when there is heavy traffic? We have tried to engage all parties and communities. We are determined to ensure we complete this road. We have reputation to maintain.”
Rep wants review of concessions
The Chairman, House Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, urged President Bola Tinubu to look at the agreement with the concessionaire.
“We should review all such contracts. We cannot afford concessionaires who can be giving us issues. The people want to see good roads. There must be a palliative measures. Let us come up with a solution where people can move,” he said.
Representative of the project consultant, Engr. Toyin Akinlapa, said: “The concessionaire did not heed our instruction. We told them to first do the drains but they ignored us and that affected the road. The company had some challenges in their technical team.”
We sleep in the bus at night, passenger recounts
A female passenger who spoke to Vanguard at Agbor, said they sleep inside the bus at night, adding that they were spending their second night in the gridlock at Agbor, since they couldn’t afford to pay for hotel accommodation.
The passenger, who is travelling with her two-year old son, said she was going for a ceremony in Imo State but had been trapped on the road for the second day, as the road had become impassable to all kinds of vehicles. She called on governments at all level come to their rescue.
Lagos to Benin is 4hrs, but drivers spend 3 days on Benin road
A truck driver, who also spoke to Vanguard after spending three days on the road, expressed frustration over the deplorable condition of the road, calling on the federal government to urgently intervene before the festive period.
The truck driver lamented the prolonged journey time, saying “from Lagos to Benin is four hours, but when you get to Benin, we spend three days.”
He accused the Federal Government of failing to properly address the conditions of the road, warning that the situation is affecting movement of goods and putting vehicles at risk.
He said: “The Federal Government has only scattered the road without making enough effort to fix it. If we are carrying perishable goods, by now the goods would have spoilt. What are we going to explain to our customers? Vehicles keep falling.”
A Benin resident, who spoke on the situation, said the deteriorating road has negatively affected businesses and economic activities in the area.
According to him, “a lot of businesses have shut down here. This bypass road leads to many destinations, including Abuja, the South-East and Delta.”
The worsening condition of the road has also raised concerns among road users ahead of the festive season when traffic and movement of goods are expected to increase significantly.
The development comes as the administration of President Tinubu continues to face pressure over the state of major federal highways across the country.
It took me 3 days to deliver cargo from Lagos to Asaba —Driver
A driver handling logistics for a Lagos-based firm said he spent three days transporting raw materials from Lagos to Asaba.
He said: “I left our office in Lagos on August 20 and arrived Asaba on August 23. I spent three good days on the road. Right from Benin bypass, where I spent a day and got trapped in Agbor.
‘’I spent two days and two nights at Agbor. Even at night in Agbor, you will think you are at a busy market because lots of passengers came down from their vehicles in search of food and water.”
Concessionaire has not done enough— Forum
Speaking on the deplorable state of the road, Chairman of the Ikpoba Hill Youth Forum, Kingsley Osemwingie, said the concessionaire has not done enough, contrary to expectations.
Osemwingie, in a chat with Vanguard, said: “Last week, we had to protest the plight of the people. If the contractor is not capable they should change it
“Some days ago, there was lock-down on this road due to the bad road. It has caused a lot of damages to lives and property.
“We urge the Federal Government to do what is right. We are appealing to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to do something about the road before the next raining season.
“That is what the youths are advocating.”
Concessionaire has failed—Cleric
A cleric, who also spoke on the bad state of the road, Rev Philip Aroje, said he has spent 30 years residing in the area.
Aroje said the concessionaire contractor has failed in the road construction.
He said: “Early this year when the contractor, the concessionaire, came on board, we felt there was going to be relief. We saw them opening the roads from Agbor Park to a community called Uguni.
“We saw a lot of asphalt plant. One was by the river and another by a community before Ugoneki. Unfortunately, all of these have not translated to better use of the road. “As a matter of fact, this is the first day people are able to ply this route. Whatever that can be done to make this road possible, we will appreciate it.”
S-South roads’ve been starved—PANDEF Chairman
Reacting to the deplorable state of the roads, the National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, yesterday, decried the deteriorating condition of roads across the South-South region, declaring that the oil-rich area has been reduced to a state of ‘crisis’ despite being the nation’s economic backbone.
Speaking against the backdrop of the horrific state of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road, where motorists have been stranded for days amid severe gridlock, Igali said the Federal Government’s continued neglect of the region’s infrastructure was breeding bitterness and alienation among its people.
He said’ “We are the goose that lays the golden egg, but that goose has almost been starved. I never said the President should only concentrate on one part of the country, even if we are the revenue base of the nation,” Igali said. “We only demand, and rightly so, to be treated with fairness and equity. It is becoming almost impossible to connect within the South-South.
“From Benin to Auchi, there are so many bad sections. Going from Auchi to Okene, which is an entrance into the South-South, is almost impossible. On the other side, from Benin, once you pass towards Akure, it is also very bad. So, we are in an almost crisis situation.
“Our people are not happy. They may not say it out of respect, but people are very bitter and sad.”
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