Umahi apologises to Nigerians, summons stakeholders over concession agreement

‘Concessionaire has failed woefully’ — Minister

‘It took me three days to deliver cargo from Lagos to Asaba’ — Driver

‘South-South roads have been starved’ — PANDEF

Motorists and commuters travelling along the Benin–Agbor–Asaba corridor have been subjected to days of agony, with some spending up to four days on the highway as multiple failed sections, gridlock and diversions bring traffic to a near standstill.

The worsening situation yesterday drew a sharp response from the Federal Government, with the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, apologising to Nigerians and announcing plans to review concessioned roads across the country to ensure that concessionaires live up to the terms of their agreements.

Umahi, who spoke during an on-the-spot assessment of the troubled Benin–Asaba highway, accused the concessionaire, BAECC, of failing woefully in its handling of the project, alleging that the company lacked the technical capacity required to execute the job effectively.

He also announced plans for an emergency intervention to restore the road to a motorable condition in the short term, while summoning all stakeholders to a meeting to review the concession arrangement.

The Benin–Asaba highway was concessioned to BAECC in 2025 for reconstruction and expansion into a 10-lane highway. The project was scheduled for completion, alongside the installation of toll gates, in September 2027, after which the concessionaire would recoup its investment and maintain the road for 25 years.

But rather than provide relief, the ongoing construction has compounded the hardship of road users, with passengers travelling between Benin, Agbor and Asaba facing prolonged journeys as sections of the highway become virtually impassable.

Umahi said the condition of the road was unacceptable, accusing the concessionaire of removing existing asphalt despite warnings from the Ministry of Works.

“He is not saying this is federal or state road. I apologise to commuters plying this road,” the minister said, while commending Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, for intervening in several federal road projects across the state.

“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.”

The minister accused the concessionaire of manipulating the process to secure the project and vowed that the government would no longer tolerate actions that compromise public infrastructure.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government would review concession agreements for roads across the country to ensure that the interests of Nigerians were protected.

Concessionaire blames heavy rains, traffic

The Chief Executive Officer of BAECC, Mr Samuel Daramola, however, attributed the slow pace of work to heavy rainfall and the volume of traffic on the highway.

Daramola said the company had expanded sections of the road to eight lanes and undertaken palliative works but was struggling to construct side drains because of the heavy traffic and adverse weather conditions.

“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,” he said.

He explained that the company had been forced to reopen sections of the road before construction materials had properly cured, resulting in repeated damage and additional 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,” Daramola said.

The project consultant, Engr. Toyin Akinlapa, appeared to support the minister’s criticism, saying the concessionaire failed to follow technical instructions concerning the construction of drainage infrastructure.

“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,” Akinlapa said.

Lawmaker demands review of road concessions

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, urged President Bola Tinubu to review the concession agreement and other similar arrangements.

“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 palliative measures. Let us come up with a solution where people can move,” he said.

‘We sleep in the bus at night’

For commuters trapped in the gridlock, the road has become a nightmare.

A female passenger who spoke to Vanguard in Agbor said she and other passengers had been forced to spend nights inside their vehicles because they could not afford hotel accommodation.

Travelling with her two-year-old son to attend a ceremony in Imo State, she said they were already spending their second night trapped in the traffic.

She appealed to the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene, saying the road had become virtually impassable to motorists.

‘Lagos to Benin is four hours, but Benin to Asaba takes days’

A truck driver who spent three days on the road described the situation as unbearable, particularly for operators transporting goods across the country.

“From Lagos to Benin is four hours, but when you get to Benin, we spend three days,” he lamented.

He warned that the prolonged journey was destroying businesses, delaying deliveries and putting vehicles and cargo at risk.

“The Federal Government has only scattered the road without making enough effort to fix it. If we are carrying perishable goods, by now the goods would have spoilt. What are we going to explain to our customers? Vehicles keep falling,” he said.

A driver working for a Lagos-based logistics company gave a similar account, saying he spent three days transporting raw materials from Lagos to Asaba.

“I left our office in Lagos on August 20 and arrived Asaba on August 23. I spent three good days on the road. Right from Benin bypass, where I spent a day and got trapped in Agbor,” he said.

According to him, he spent two days and two nights in Agbor, describing the scene at night as resembling a busy market because stranded passengers were forced to leave their vehicles in search of food and water.

Businesses suffer as road deteriorates

Residents and community leaders said the crisis was taking a heavy toll on businesses and economic activities along the corridor.

A Benin resident said several businesses had been forced to close because of the worsening road condition.

“A lot of businesses have shut down here. This bypass road leads to many destinations, including Abuja, the South-East and Delta,” he said.

The Ikpoba Hill Youth Forum Chairman, Kingsley Osemwingie, said residents had recently staged a protest over the situation and called on the Federal Government to replace the concessionaire if it lacked the capacity to execute the project.

“Some days ago, there was lockdown on this road due to the bad road. It has caused a lot of damages to lives and property,” he said.

Osemwingie urged the Minister of Works to take urgent action before the next rainy season worsened the situation.

A cleric, Rev. Philip Aroje, who has lived in the area for about 30 years, also accused the concessionaire of failing to deliver on its promise.

He said residents initially welcomed the arrival of the contractor, expecting the project to bring relief after years of suffering.

“Early this year when the contractor, the concessionaire, came on board, we felt there was going to be relief. We saw them opening the roads from Agbor Park to a community called Uguni.

“We saw a lot of asphalt plant. One was by the river and another by a community before Ugoneki. Unfortunately, all of these have not translated to better use of the road,” he said.

‘South-South roads have been starved’ — PANDEF

Reacting to the worsening condition of the highway, the National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali, lamented what he described as the prolonged neglect of infrastructure in the South-South.

Igali said the deteriorating state of roads in the oil-producing region had created an infrastructure crisis despite the area’s enormous contribution to Nigeria’s economy.

Speaking against the backdrop of the Benin–Agbor–Asaba crisis, he warned that continued neglect was fuelling frustration, bitterness and a sense of alienation among residents.

“We are the goose that lays the golden egg, but that goose has almost been starved. I never said the President should only concentrate on one part of the country, even if we are the revenue base of the nation,” Igali said.

“We only demand, and rightly so, to be treated with fairness and equity. It is becoming almost impossible to connect within the South-South.”

He cited the Benin–Auchi and Auchi–Okene corridors, as well as the Benin–Akure route, among roads he said had deteriorated to alarming levels.

“From Benin to Auchi, there are so many bad sections. Going from Auchi to Okene, which is an entrance into the South-South, is almost impossible. On the other side, from Benin, once you pass towards Akure, it is also very bad. So, we are in an almost crisis situation,” he said.

“Our people are not happy. They may not say it out of respect, but people are very bitter and sad.”

With the festive season approaching, concerns are mounting that the situation could worsen as traffic and the movement of passengers and goods increase. For motorists and businesses dependent on the corridor, the immediate demand is simple: restore the highway before another season of gridlock turns an already painful journey into an even greater nightmare.

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