The Presidency has blamed the contractor handling the Benin-Agbor-Asaba highway for the deplorable condition of the road and the gridlock that recently left motorists stranded for days.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said the contractor failed to fulfil its obligations, while insisting that the Federal Government responded swiftly after the situation escalated.
Dare spoke on Channels Television on Wednesday while reacting to the road crisis and the government’s intervention.
“Whatever played out yesterday, we had all the stakeholders there. And it’s important that even the contractor came out, even though he gave excuses, it showed a failure on their part,” he said.
The highway had experienced severe traffic congestion for nearly two weeks, leaving motorists and commuters stranded and disrupting the movement of goods between Edo and Delta states.
Traders transporting perishable goods along the route were particularly affected, with prolonged delays reportedly causing losses to some businesses.
The crisis had prompted calls for urgent intervention on the major highway linking Benin City in Edo State with Agbor and Asaba in Delta State.
Dare said the government was responsible for identifying roads requiring intervention and providing funding for their rehabilitation, while contractors had a corresponding responsibility to execute the projects properly.
“Government has a responsibility to identify the roads that need to be fixed. Government has a responsibility to provide the funding. And then, the next responsibility goes to the contractors to do what is necessary,” he said.
He said the intervention led by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, alongside members of the National Assembly and other stakeholders, demonstrated the government’s willingness to address infrastructure challenges promptly.
Umahi inspected the highway on Tuesday, apologised to motorists and commuters over the hardship caused by the road’s condition and acknowledged the need for urgent action.
Following the inspection, the minister directed moves towards the total reconstruction of the highway, saying palliative repairs would not provide a lasting solution.
Dare, however, described the situation on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road as an isolated failure and cautioned against using it as a measure of the Federal Government’s performance on road infrastructure nationwide.
“What we saw yesterday, the Minister, the National Assembly members, and other key stakeholders going there in record time, right on the spot. And I think that’s what good governance is about, responding as quickly and as swiftly as possible, putting the blame where it is, and requesting for immediate action,” he said.
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