By Joel ARINZE
The Federal Government has issued a strong warning to the company handling the reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Highway, threatening to arrest its officials over the sluggish progress of work on the busy road.
The threat came on Tuesday when the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, led a team of officials on an unscheduled inspection of the 125-kilometre stretch, following weeks of complaints from motorists and residents about the deplorable state of the road and the hardship caused by the ongoing construction.
Umahi expressed displeasure with the performance of the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company, accusing the firm of disregarding directives from the ministry and the project’s independent consultant.
“You are not adhering to engineering best practices in road construction and your methodology is adversely impacting road users, host neighbourhoods and the pace of work,” Umahi told the concessionaire’s representatives.
The minister took particular issue with the concessionaire’s decision to remove asphalt from sections of the highway that were still serviceable, describing the move as wasteful and counterproductive.
He argued that stripping off good asphalt without first constructing proper drainage amounted to destroying public property, an offence he said would not be tolerated.
Umahi consequently directed all works controllers and engineering supervisors across the country to apprehend any contractor found removing asphalt from existing roads without authorisation.
“I, therefore, direct all Federal Controllers of Works and Engineering Representatives to, henceforth, arrest any contractor who completely removes the asphalt from an existing road,” the minister declared.
He also questioned the technical capacity of the concessionaire, suggesting that the company lacked the expertise required for a project of such magnitude.
“You have no knowledge of road construction. You don’t know what you are doing. You have no technical staff or competence,” Umahi said, adding that the situation had become a source of great concern.
Umahi disclosed that the government was contemplating invoking the public interest clause in the concession agreement to take over the project if the concessionaire failed to improve its performance.
He said President Bola Tinubu had directed the ministry to do everything possible to fix the road and ease the suffering of motorists.
“The President has directed us to do whatever is possible to fix this road. The law is there; there is overriding public interest,” he stated.
The minister said plans were underway to engage more competent contractors to immediately fix the worst sections of the highway, including a proposal to bring in China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation to handle the critical portions around Asaba.
He apologised to Nigerians for the inconvenience and assured them that the President was fully aware of their plight.
In his defence, the Chief Executive Officer of the concessionaire, Samuel Daramola, blamed the slow pace on heavy rainfall and the high volume of traffic plying the route.
He said the company had to reopen some sections to traffic before the materials had properly set, due to the pressure from motorists who had been stuck in long queues.
“We are wrestling with the weather as much as we want to keep to the scope of work. We have to choose between doing side drains and combating heavy traffic,” Daramola explained.
But the project consultant, Toyin Akinlapa, contradicted the concessionaire’s explanation, insisting that the company had been advised to prioritise drainage works before removing asphalt but chose to ignore the professional counsel.
“The concessionaire did not heed our instructions. 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,” Akinlapa said.
The chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh and Hon. Akin Alabi, who accompanied the minister on the inspection, described the situation as unacceptable.
Alabi called on the President to review the concession agreement and consider similar reviews for other road projects across the country.
“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 palliative measures,” Alabi said.
Project background
The Benin-Asaba Highway is a major artery connecting the South-East, South-South and parts of the South-West. It runs from the AIF Roundabout in Benin City, Edo State, to Summit Junction in Asaba, Delta State.
The Federal Executive Council approved the concession of the road to BAECC in January 2023 under a 25-year Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer arrangement, with a three-year construction timeline.
The project was handed over to the concessionaire in March 2025, but progress has been slow, with motorists reportedly trapped on the road for days due to multiple failed sections.
A follow-up meeting with all stakeholders has been scheduled to review the situation and determine the next steps.
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