As Nigerians lament the poor state of roads across the country, the Federal Government said yesterday it will review all concessioned roads to ensure the terms of contract were met to ease the pains of the people.
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, who disclosed this when he went on an on-the-spot assessment of the concessioned Benin-Asaba highway, tongue-lashed the concession company, BAECC, over poor handling of the project.
He said the company had ‘’failed woefully’’ as it lacked the technical knowledge to handle the job, and called for a meeting of all stakeholders to review the situation.
He also promised that government will bring a contractor to make the road motorable in the short term.
Motorists have been trapped on the highway for several days due to many failed sections of the road.
Passengers traveling from Benin through Agbor to Asaba are facing increasing hardship due to the failed portions of the highway, traffic congestion and diversions which, combined, were prolonging journey times along the corridor.
The Benin-Asaba highway was concessioned to BAECC in 2025, to turn the road to a 10-lane highway and the project was to have been completed with toll gates in September 2027, to enable the company recoup its investment and maintain the road for 25 years.
But Umahi said the concessionaire would have been arrested for destroying public property because it removed existing asphalt, contrary to advice, thus subjecting the road to hazards.
While commending Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State for his intervention in lots of federal roads across the state, Umahi said: “He is not saying this is federal or state road. I apologise to commuters plying this road.
“The NDDC is willing to intervene. I am disappointed with the concessionaire. I take full responsibility for their misdeed and destruction of public assets.
“Ministry of Works does not allow removal of asphalt. We begged them not to remove it. The concessionaire should have been arrested for destroying public property. This road was not like this when it was handed over. I am instructing the ministry to arrest any concessionaire that removes asphalt on existing roads.”
He accused the concessionaire of manipulating the process to get the job.
Concessionaire blames rains
On his part, the BAECC chief executive officer, Mr. Samuel Daramola, blamed heavy rains for the slow pace of work.
Daramola, who noted that heavy vehicular traffic on the highway made it impossible for the firm to construct side drains, said: “We expanded the road. We have expanded to eight lanes. We did palliative work for some months. We are wrestling with weather as much as we want to keep to the scope of work.
“We expected our palliative work to have been completed long ago. We have to choose between doing side drains and combating heavy traffic. We are compelled to open the road when it is yet to cure. We have to do the work over again.
We are funding this road with our money. How do we start with drains when there is heavy traffic? We have tried to engage all parties and communities. We are determined to ensure we complete this road. We have reputation to maintain.”
Rep wants review of concessions
The Chairman, House Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, urged President Bola Tinubu to look at the agreement with the concessionaire.
“We should review all such contracts. We cannot afford concessionaires who can be giving us issues. The people want to see good roads. There must be a palliative measures. Let us come up with a solution where people can move,” he said.
Representative of the project consultant, Engr. Toyin Akinlapa, said: “The concessionaire did not heed our instruction. We told them to first do the drains but they ignored us and that affected the road. The company had some challenges in their technical team.”
A female passenger who spoke to Vanguard at Agbor, said they sleep inside the bus at night, adding that they were spending their second night in the gridlock at Agbor, since they couldn’t afford to pay for hotel accommodation.
The passenger, who is travelling with her two-year old son, said she was going for a ceremony in Imo State but had been trapped on the road for the second day, as the road had become impassable to all kinds of vehicles. She called on governments at all level come to their rescue.
A truck driver, who also spoke to Vanguard after spending three days on the road, expressed frustration over the deplorable condition of the road, calling on the federal government to urgently intervene before the festive period.