Jane Salihu
The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has ordered the immediate arrest of any contractor found removing asphalt from existing carriageways, following concerns over the worsening condition of sections of the Benin-Asaba Highway.
Umahi gave the directive on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, during an on-the-spot assessment of the 125-kilometre highway, where he expressed concern over the hardship being faced by motorists and host communities as a result of the ongoing reconstruction and expansion works.
The Minister, who was accompanied by members of the National Assembly Committees on Works, Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, representatives of the Presidency, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), also apologised to road users over the difficulties caused by the project.
Umahi particularly faulted the concessionaire, Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC), for what he described as unprofessional conduct and slow progress on the project despite several warnings from the Ministry and the Independent Engineer, Yolas Consultants Limited.
He said the concessionaire’s construction methodology was adversely affecting motorists, host communities and the pace of work, stressing that engineering best practices must be observed in the execution of the project.
The Minister also condemned the removal of asphalt from smooth portions of the highway, noting that the action was damaging already stabilised sections of the road.
He consequently directed all Federal Controllers of Works and Engineering Representatives to arrest any contractor who completely removes asphalt from an existing road.
“Contractors must not be allowed to destroy existing carriageways in the name of reconstruction,” Umahi said, insisting that construction activities must be carried out in a manner that protects road users and preserves usable sections of existing roads.
To provide immediate relief to motorists, the Minister announced that a competent contractor would be engaged to remedy the critically bad portions of the highway.
He assured road users and host communities that the Federal Government was aware of their suffering and was taking steps to restore smoother movement along the corridor.
The Benin-Asaba Highway, which runs from AIF Roundabout in Benin City, Edo State, to Summit Junction in Asaba, Delta State, is a strategic federal highway linking the South-South and South-East regions with parts of the South-West.
The road is one of the pilot corridors under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), being delivered through a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
Explaining the slow pace of work, the Managing Director/CEO of BAECC, Mr. Samuel Daramola, attributed the challenges to the high volume of traffic on the route and heavy rainfall in the area.
Umahi, however, dismissed the explanations as “unprofessional and untenable excuses,” stressing that the concessionaire must find practical solutions to ensure that the project progresses without subjecting road users to unnecessary hardship.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Sen. Allwell Onyesoh, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Hon. Akin Alabi, expressed concern over the condition of the highway and sympathised with motorists and host communities.
They described the situation witnessed during the inspection as unacceptable and pledged to pursue a broader review of concession agreements nationwide to ensure strict compliance with agreed terms.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South South Zone, Mrs. Gift Johnbull, assured residents that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was aware of their plight and had directed that lasting solutions be found.
Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, also appealed for patience from motorists and residents, assuring them that measures were being put in place to resolve the challenges.
A follow-up meeting involving all stakeholders in the Benin-Asaba Highway project is scheduled to hold at the Edo State Government House on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, to review the situation and agree on further steps to accelerate the project and ease the suffering of road users.
