Umahi Orders Emergency Repairs on Benin-Asaba, Other Critical Federal Roads to Address Surfering of Motorists

Umahi Orders Emergency Repairs on Benin-Asaba, Other Critical Federal Roads to Address Surfering of Motorists

By Our Correspondent

Abuja (Core Reporters) -Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has directed the immediate deployment of major contractors to all three sections of the Benin-Asaba Federal Road to restore failed sections and bring relief to motorists and other road users.

The directive follows the worsening condition of the concessioned Benin-Asaba Road, which the Minister said had reached a point where the overall public interest must take precedence over the existing concession agreement.

Umahi had visited the Benin-Asaba Road about a week ago, where he assembled contractors and directed them to prepare for immediate palliative intervention on the affected sections at no cost to the concessionaire.

However, under the concession agreement, the Federal Government is required to obtain the concessionaire’s permission before intervening on the road. Such permission was not granted.

The Minister subsequently proposed three options to the concessionaire, any of which would have enabled the Federal Government to intervene and address the worsening condition of the road. None of the options was accepted.

According to the Ministry, immediately after the Minister left Asaba, the already limited equipment deployed by the concessionaire was further reduced to just one machine, worsening the condition of the road and increasing the suffering of motorists and other road users.

While taking responsibility for the concerns and suffering of Nigerians using the road, Umahi said the concessionaire had also failed to sufficiently consider the plight of Edo people and other road users by declining all the options proposed by the Federal Government.

The Minister said the concessionaire continued to rely on the terms of the concession agreement entered into by the previous administration, which limits the Federal Government’s ability to intervene quickly in the interest of the public.

Consequently, Umahi has directed the immediate deployment of major contractors along the corridor to all three sections of the Benin-Asaba Road to restore the failed sections, with the cost of the emergency intervention to be borne by the Federal Government.

He has also directed the immediate redesign of the entire route for reconstruction with reinforced concrete pavement.

The Ministry said Nigerians should therefore expect immediate action to restore every failed section of the Benin-Asaba Road, followed by comprehensive rehabilitation of the entire route with reinforced concrete pavement.

Benin-Sapele Road

On the Benin-Sapele Road, the Governors of Edo and Delta States, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Federal Government are currently undertaking interventions on different sections of the road.

While palliative works are being carried out on some sections, permanent rehabilitation is ongoing on others.

Ifaki-Ekiti-Kabba Road

The Federal Government is engaging Gamji Nigeria Company Limited and Dangote PLC on immediate emergency and permanent interventions on the most severely failed sections of the Ifaki-Ekiti-Kabba Road.

Efforts are also being made to financially mobilise the contractor for more extensive permanent works on the route.

Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Road

The Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Road is an inherited dualisation project covering approximately 350 kilometres, translating to about 700 kilometres of carriageway.

The project has been redesigned and work is ongoing, with most sections being reconstructed with reinforced concrete pavement.

From the Sokoto axis towards Zamfara, more than 50 kilometres of one carriageway have been completed with reinforced concrete pavement, while some sections between Zamfara and Katsina have also been completed.

Palliative works have been ordered on sections awaiting reconstruction, while contractors including CBC, SETRACO, Triacta and Mothercat are being remobilised to return to site and complete outstanding works.

Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road

The Federal Government has taken over the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road project and completed the 118-kilometre Lot 1, largely with reinforced concrete pavement.

Lot 2, covering 164 kilometres, is more than 60 per cent completed, also using reinforced concrete pavement.

Solar-powered lighting has also been introduced along the entire Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano route to improve visibility at night and enhance security.

The entire project is scheduled for completion by December 2026.

Bauchi-Jigawa Road

Triacta Nigeria Limited has been mobilised to undertake necessary interventions on failed sections of the Bauchi-Jigawa Road, with work currently ongoing.

Sagamu-Ore Road

Forty-eight kilometres of the 96-kilometre Sagamu-Ore Road have been completed with reinforced concrete pavement.

A 24-kilometre section around Ore, which was abandoned by the previous contractor, is being restored following a directive by the Federal Government.

Solar lighting is also being installed along the entire 96-kilometre route.

Flooded Sections of Sagamu-Ore-Benin Road

Flooded sections along the Sagamu-Ore-Benin corridor, as well as other affected sections in Ondo State, are being designed for emergency procurement and intervention.

East-West Road

Some failed and critical sections of the East-West Road, including defective bridge sections, are being marked out for emergency procurement and intervention.

Abuja-Lokoja Road

Several contracts are ongoing along the Abuja-Lokoja Road, while three critical sections currently without contracts are being procured for emergency intervention.

Lokoja-Benin-Warri Road

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the complete redesign and procurement of the 400-kilometre dualised Lokoja-Benin-Warri route covering the uncompleted sections.

The redesigned route will use reinforced concrete pavement, while palliative works will continue with contractors currently working on the road.

Carter Bridge

The Federal Government continues to undertake weekly maintenance of the underwater elements of Carter Bridge.

The site has also been handed over to CCECC for construction of a permanent new bridge, with work already commenced.

Third Mainland Bridge

Regarding defective underwater structural elements of the Third Mainland Bridge, the Federal Government is at the final stage of determining the appropriate intervention for the affected components.

Lagos-Ibadan Road

Work has commenced on the flooded section of the Lagos-Ibadan Road.

The Ministry said several other flooded sections of federal roads across the six geopolitical zones, largely caused by excessive flooding and the effects of climate change, are being identified and marked for immediate attention.

First and Second Niger Bridges

Intervention works are ongoing on the approach roads to the Second Niger Bridge damaged by flooding, with work progressing well.

The First Niger Bridge has been closed to traffic to facilitate immediate repairs. The contractor has mobilised to site and comprehensive rehabilitation of the bridge has commenced.

Massive rehabilitation is also ongoing on the section from Summit Junction to the First Niger Bridge, using reinforced concrete pavement.

Tinubu Administration’s Road Infrastructure Drive

Umahi commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as the massive work being undertaken on the nation’s roads since the administration assumed office in 2023.

He said that when the administration came into office, the country faced significant challenges across its road and bridge network, with hardly any part of the country where motorists could travel for an hour without encountering serious road problems.

Rather than shy away from the challenge, the Minister said, the Tinubu administration made the nation’s road network a priority, with the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, regional commissions, parastatals and other MDAs, responding extensively to the challenges.

According to him, the Federal Government is currently working on more than 80 per cent of inherited federal roads, describing this as an unprecedented level of intervention in the country’s road infrastructure.

The Minister urged Nigerians to understand the enormous challenges inherited by the administration while also taking note of both the problems being addressed and the permanent solutions being introduced.

He identified the increasing use of reinforced concrete pavement as a major component of the new approach, saying the technology is designed to significantly extend the lifespan of major roads, with some expected to last between 50 and 100 years.

Umahi said the roads being constructed under the Tinubu administration are designed with future generations in mind rather than merely providing temporary solutions to present challenges.

He said this represents a departure from the past, when roads often deteriorated only a few years after completion, resulting in a continuous cycle of reconstruction and expenditure.

The Minister acknowledged the concerns of Nigerians over the condition of some roads and the difficulties faced by motorists and commuters.

He said the concerns were legitimate and that the Federal Government was listening, but urged Nigerians to recognise the enormous scale of the problems inherited and the volume of work currently being undertaken across the country.

“It is simply impossible to resolve every road challenge accumulated over many years of neglect by the past administrations within three years,” he said, stressing that the government was working, responding and putting permanent solutions in place.

He also appreciated members of the public who send reports on failed roads and other infrastructure challenges, noting that such reports assist the Ministry in identifying areas requiring urgent attention.

However, he appealed to Nigerians to also report when identified problems had been addressed, just as they report when such problems occur.

The Ministry said it was aware of situations where photographs and reports of road challenges continued to circulate on social media even after the Federal Government had intervened and resolved the particular problems.

It assured Nigerians that it would continue to respond as rapidly as possible to genuine reports and concerns.

The Ministry also disclosed that it had compiled a comprehensive record of inherited, ongoing and intervention projects across the country, which is available to the public.

According to the Ministry, the initiative is intended to give Nigerians access to information on infrastructure projects being undertaken nationwide and enable citizens to participate in and appreciate the infrastructure development programme of the Tinubu administration.