Benin-Asaba Road: FG Threatens Arrest Of Contractors Over Asphalt Removal

The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has ordered the immediate arrest of any contractor who completely removes asphalt from an existing road.

Umahi’s directive followed his condemnation of the handling of the ongoing reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Highway.

The Minister gave the directive during an on-the-spot assessment of the 125-kilometre Benin-Asaba Highway, where he apologised to Nigerians and host communities for the hardship caused by the ongoing reconstruction works.

THE WHISTLER recalls that
the Benin-Asaba Highway, which links Benin City in Edo State with Asaba in Delta State, is a strategic route connecting the South-South, South-East and parts of the South-West.

The road is one of the pilot corridors under Phase I of the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), being implemented through a Public-Private Partnership.

The Federal Executive Council approved its concession in January 2023 on a Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) basis for 25 years, including a three-year construction period.

The concession agreement was signed in May 2023, while the project was formally handed over to BAECC on March 23, 2025.

A 36-month construction period subsequently commenced on April 8, 2025, and is expected to run until April 8, 2028.

The Minister rebuked the concessionaire, Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC), for removing asphalt from portions of the highway that were still smooth, thereby damaging the stabilised road sub-structure and worsening the condition of the corridor.

Umahi, who described the concessionaire’s conduct and slow pace of work as unprofessional, noted that several warnings had previously been issued by the Ministry and the project’s Independent Engineer, Yolas Consultants Limited.

“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 said.

He directed all Federal Controllers of Works and Engineering Representatives to henceforth arrest contractors who completely remove asphalt from existing roads without justification.

The Minister also rejected explanations by BAECC Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Samuel Daramola, who attributed the slow pace of work to heavy traffic on the corridor and torrential rainfall.

Umahi described the explanations as “unprofessional and untenable excuses,” stressing that the contractor must deploy appropriate engineering methods to minimise disruption to motorists and residents while delivering the project.

The Minister assured road users and affected communities that the Federal Government was concerned about their plight, disclosing that a competent contractor would be immediately engaged to intervene on the critically failed portions of the highway and ease traffic.

He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was aware of the suffering of Nigerians along the corridor and was committed to finding a lasting solution.

During the inspection, the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh and Hon. Akin Alabi, respectively, expressed concern over the condition of the road and the hardship faced by motorists and host communities.

They described the situation as an “unacceptable disaster” and pledged to support a nationwide review of concession agreements to ensure strict compliance with their terms.

The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, appealed for patience from motorists and residents, assuring them that measures were being put in place to address the situation.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South-South Zone, Mrs Gift Johnbull, also assured affected communities that President Tinubu was aware of their plight and had directed that a lasting solution be found.

Meanwhile, the Minister also inspected the reconstruction of 23 kilometres of failed sections of the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road, being undertaken by the Edo State Government on behalf of the Federal Government.

Umahi expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of work by CBC Global Civil and Building Construction (Nig.) Limited after being informed that the project had reached 75 per cent completion.

He also inspected another 10-kilometre stretch of the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road, Section I, Phase 2, being executed by CCECC (Nigeria) Limited.

The project, which is being reconstructed using Continuous Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP), has attained about 25 per cent completion.

The Managing Director/CEO of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, pledged that the commission would reconstruct a critically failed 15.4-kilometre stretch of the Benin-Sapele Road between the Edo and Delta State borders.

Umahi commended the NDDC for the intervention and directed officials of the Ministry and the commission to work together on the modalities for executing the project.