President Tinubu Deploys Over 50 Equipment For Emergency Intervention On Benin-Asaba Expressway

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has deployed over 50 pieces of equipment for emergency intervention on the Benin-Asaba Expressway to ease the hardship being experienced by motorists and communities along the corridor.

The President, who was represented by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, during the inauguration of the emergency intervention in Benin City, said the intervention followed the worsening condition of the road, severe gridlock and prolonged delays experienced by motorists on the strategic highway linking Edo and Delta states with other parts of the country.

He said the intervention was not merely the commencement of another road project but a response to the plight of Nigerians using the corridor.

“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,” Tinubu said through Okpebholo.

The President said the Benin-Asaba corridor had been concessioned under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement to the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC), with the expectation that the road would be completed within three years.

He said the pace and manner of execution had fallen short of the terms of the concession agreement, resulting in worsening road conditions and hardship for motorists.

Minister of Works David Umahi said more than 50 pieces of equipment had already been deployed for the emergency works, adding that additional machinery would be mobilised.

Umahi said the Federal Ministry of Works had taken over the immediate palliative rehabilitation of the road in the public interest.

He clarified that the emergency works had not been awarded to Hitech or any other contractor, explaining that the ministry hired equipment for the intervention.

The minister said the Federal Government decided to intervene after efforts to secure the cooperation of the concessionaire failed.

According to him, the concession agreement required the government to obtain the concessionaire’s permission before intervening on the road, but the company declined the options proposed by the ministry.

Umahi said the government consequently directed major contractors to work on the three sections of the Benin-Asaba Road to restore failed portions and ease motorists’ hardship.

He said the entire corridor would subsequently be redesigned for reconstruction using reinforced concrete pavement.

The minister said the emergency works would also address sections where existing asphalt had been removed, leaving the road base exposed to rainfall and further deterioration.

Okpebholo, speaking on behalf of the people of Edo State, thanked Tinubu for responding to the concerns of commuters and communities along the corridor.

The governor also commended Umahi for his commitment and intervention in efforts to restore the road.

He urged those handling the emergency works to ensure quality construction, comply strictly with approved specifications and deliver within the agreed timeframe.

“To the new contractor, 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,” Okpebholo said.

The governor appealed to communities and commuters who had endured prolonged gridlock and delays to remain patient, saying their complaints had been heard.

He said the intervention should mark the beginning of the end of the hardship experienced on the Benin-Asaba corridor.

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by Commissioner for Information Charles Aniagwu, also hailed Tinubu for the intervention.

Oborevwori described the road as an important link for commerce and cultural ties between Edo and Delta states.

“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.

Umahi also said the realigned Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would commence from the Benin Bypass through Delta and Bayelsa to Eleme Junction.

He said the project was intended to divert traffic from the state capital and improve connectivity between Edo and other parts of the Niger Delta.