Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has ordered the immediate mobilisation of major contractors to all three sections of the troubled Benin-Asaba Road, saying public interest must take precedence over the existing concession agreement.
Umahi, in a statement on Wednesday, said the condition of the highway had reached a stage where contractual constraints could no longer frustrate urgent government intervention.
According to him, “The Benin-Asaba Road situation has reached a point where overall public interest must take precedence over the existing concession agreement.”
The minister recalled that during his recent visit to the road, he assembled contractors and directed them to prepare for palliative works. However, he said the concession agreement required the consent of the concessionaire before the Federal Government could intervene.
“Permission was not granted,” he said, adding that he subsequently presented three options to the concessionaire, but “none of the options was accepted.”
Umahi said that after he left Asaba, the equipment deployed to the road was reduced to just one, making meaningful intervention impossible.
He has now directed the immediate mobilisation of major contractors to the three sections of the road, with the Federal Government to bear the cost of the emergency works.
The minister also ordered the immediate redesign of the entire Benin-Asaba route for reinforced concrete pavement, saying the measure would provide a more durable solution to the persistent deterioration of the highway.
