The Federal Government and Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Limited have commenced emergency repairs on the Benin-Asaba and Benin-Sapele highways respectively, following prolonged deterioration that has caused gridlock, delays and accidents.
The Federal Government’s intervention covers the 125-kilometre Benin-Asaba Road, while the Edo-based refinery is repairing damaged portions of the Benin-Sapele highway, particularly areas where frequent accidents involving trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles have been recorded.
The intervention on the Benin-Asaba Road followed an order by President Bola Tinubu, who said the government was responding to the hardship experienced by motorists and communities along the major route linking Edo and Delta states with other parts of the country.
Tinubu, represented by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, at the inauguration of the emergency works on Thursday, said the road had been concessioned under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement to the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company, with an initial three-year completion timeline.
He, however, said the execution had not met the terms of the concession agreement, leading to further deterioration and hardship for road users.
“We are here today not to witness the commencement of another road project. We are witnessing the response of a government that has heard the cries of its people and has chosen to act. That is why today’s intervention is truly a rescue operation,” he said.
Okpebholo thanked Tinubu for responding to the concerns of motorists and communities along the corridor and also commended the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for his efforts to restore the road.
The governor urged contractors handling the emergency repairs to maintain quality, adhere to approved specifications and complete the work within the agreed timeframe.
“To the contractors handling the palliative work, this is a road of great economic importance to Edo, Delta and Nigeria. We expect quality work, strict compliance with the approved project specifications, and delivery within the agreed timeframe; there must be no excuses.
“I appeal to communities and commuters who had endured prolonged gridlock and delays to remain patient because their complaints had been heard. The intervention will mark the beginning of the end of the hardship experienced on the highway,” he said.
Umahi said the Federal Ministry of Works had assumed responsibility for the immediate palliative rehabilitation of the Benin-Asaba Road in the public interest.
He explained that the temporary repairs were not awarded to Hi-Tech or another contractor, noting that the ministry hired equipment for the emergency operation.
According to the minister, more than 50 pieces of equipment had already been deployed, with more expected to arrive.
Umahi said the intervention became necessary after the ministry failed to secure the cooperation of the concessionaire.
He explained that the concession agreement required government to obtain the company’s approval before intervening, but the concessionaire rejected the options presented by the ministry.
He said the government subsequently directed major contractors to work on three sections of the highway to restore failed portions and ease motorists’ difficulties.
Umahi added that the entire route would later be redesigned for reconstruction with reinforced concrete pavement, while the emergency works would also tackle areas where asphalt had been removed and the exposed road base left vulnerable to rainfall.
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by the Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, described the Benin-Asaba corridor as a longstanding challenge for residents of both states.
Oborevwori commended the President for intervening, saying the road was important for commerce and cultural connections between Edo and Delta.
“For us in Delta, this intervention is a welcome development because this road helps to connect commerce, culture and bring us together as a people that once existed as one state.
“This road needs to come back alive because we have all felt the embarrassment of the deplorable condition of the road.
“The decision to bring back life to this road is a decision we must appreciate President Tinubu for, and indeed it shows that he listens,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Limited has commenced palliative repairs on several failed sections of the Benin-Sapele Road.
The repairs covered areas including Iyanomo, Ekosa, Obayantor Ologbo and Koko Junction in Delta State.
The Head of Technical Operations of the refinery, Segun Okeni, said the intervention was aimed at preventing further accidents, recalling an incident about five years ago when a petrol tanker fell at a bad portion of the road in Ologbo, triggering a fire that killed more than 20 people.
Okeni said the company moved to repair the affected area after the incident, adding that the poor condition of the road had also affected the movement of tankers to the refinery.
“Our refinery is just about two kilometres ahead. And this area happens to be part of the area of coverage of our Corporate Social Responsibility.
“The communities approached us to help them fix the failed section because most of their people cannot go out of the area.
“Our chairman was around during that period, and he saw the level of damage to the road, and even on that same day, we had like five trucks that fell along the road. He authorised that we should undertake the repairs.
“It is not directly affecting our production, but it does not allow trucks easy access to our company, and that can affect part of our operations,” he said.
The Managing Director of SODEOSA Global Resources, Solomon Uyiekpen, said commuters had endured significant hardship on the road before the intervention.
He said his company partnered with the Edo Refinery to repair the road as part of its corporate social responsibility to communities in the area.
A member of the Obayantor community, Kennedy Nwazekwu, said the repairs would help reduce recurring accidents on the highway.
He said more than 20 people had died after vehicles fell into ditches along the road.
