ABUJA: The Presidency has attributed the recent failure of sections of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway to the contractor handling the project, describing the incident as isolated and insisting that it does not reflect the condition of federal road projects across Nigeria.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made the clarification on Wednesday while speaking on Channels Television about the deteriorating condition of the highway and the President’s directive for its redesign and complete reconstruction.
Dare said the Federal Government responded quickly after the latest failure, with the Minister of Works, National Assembly members and other stakeholders visiting the affected sections and demanding immediate action from the contractor.
According to Dare, road construction can encounter challenges, particularly during the rainy season, but contractors are expected to ensure that projects are properly executed.
He said the government has a responsibility to identify roads requiring repairs and provide the necessary funding, while contractors must deliver projects according to agreed standards.
“Whatever played out yesterday, we had all the stakeholders there. And it’s important that even the contractor came out, even though he gave excuses, it showed a failure on their part,” Dare said.
His comments followed an inspection of the troubled road by Works Minister David Umahi, who apologised to motorists over the condition of the highway.
Umahi also condemned the concessionaire responsible for the reconstruction and directed steps towards the total reconstruction of the road after concluding that further palliative work would not provide a lasting solution.
The Benin-Agbor-Asaba corridor has recently faced serious deterioration, causing difficulties for commuters, motorists and businesses operating along the route.
During a visit to the Benin axis on Tuesday, the highway was observed to be in poor condition, although the severe gridlock that had affected the route for about two weeks had eased.
The deteriorating road had reportedly disrupted transportation, damaged vehicles and increased the cost of movement and doing business along the corridor.
Dare, however, maintained that the situation should not be used to judge all Federal Government road projects.
He said several other federal roads had either been completed or were progressing without similar complaints.
The presidential aide also defended the pace of infrastructure development under the Tinubu administration, arguing that major road projects are often completed in phases.
Dare cited the Abuja-Lokoja corridor, saying he recently travelled on the route alongside about 65 journalists and observed completed portions as well as sections where concrete construction was ongoing.
He explained that motorists could experience temporary inconveniences while construction progresses, comparing the process to building a house in stages.
“It’s like a house construction; a house is not built in a day, it’s progressive. Until the roof comes on, the rain will still pour down on the building, he said.
Dare said the Federal Government is currently implementing major road projects across the country, including five legacy roads and about 320 other roads.
He argued that the scale of the projects demonstrates President Tinubu’s focus on infrastructure development and credited the Ministry of Works with implementing the administration’s road construction programme.
“Is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on top of what’s happening? Absolutely,” Dare said.
The Presidency’s comments came as pressure mounts for urgent intervention on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway, a major transport route linking parts of Edo and Delta states.
With the Federal Government now moving towards a redesign and total reconstruction of the affected sections, motorists and residents along the corridor will be watching closely to see whether the intervention delivers a lasting solution to the recurring problems on the road.
