The Minister of Works, David Umahi, says he will visit the troubled Benin-Asaba Road on Tuesday to assess the worsening condition of the highway and seek solutions to the severe gridlock affecting motorists.
Umahi disclosed this on Monday during the flag-off ceremony for the dualisation of the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road, according to a video shared by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze.
The minister said he would meet with independent engineers, the concessionaire handling the road project and the state government as part of efforts to address the situation.
“Tomorrow, we are off to Benin-Asaba. I want Nigerians to be assured that when we get there, we’ll solve that problem,” Umahi said.
The Benin-Asaba Road has recently come under intense criticism following prolonged traffic congestion, protests and complaints from motorists over its deteriorating condition.
Umahi attributed the poor state of the highway to the Federal Government’s attempt to involve private investors in road development through concession arrangements.
He said the situation was not directly caused by the Ministry of Works, but resulted from challenges associated with the concession process.
“It’s not caused by Ministry of Works; it’s caused by, you know, our attempt to involve private sector in road development, as it’s done in other places,” he said.
The minister further alleged that the concessionaire had removed more than 30 kilometres of asphalt from the road without completing the rehabilitation work expected under the arrangement.
He said his visit would provide an opportunity to engage the relevant stakeholders and determine the immediate steps required to ease the hardship being experienced by road users.
