The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government will not allow the prolonged deterioration of the Benin-Asaba Road to continue, despite inheriting a concession agreement entered into by the previous administration.
Umahi gave the assurance while inspecting Phase 2B of the Second Niger Bridge at the Nkwerre-Ezunaka section of the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, his
Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, said in a statement on Sunday.
The minister said the Federal Government inherited the concession arrangement with Africa Plus Partners Ltd. but stressed that the overriding public interest remained a priority of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
According to him, government must follow due process in addressing the situation, but would not allow the concession agreement to become an excuse for Nigerians and other road users to continue suffering.
“Our hands are tied by the concession agreement that was entered before this administration. But overriding public interest is such that we are watching them, and if this suffering continues, we’ll invoke the law of necessity for overriding public interest,” he said.
Umahi disclosed that the Ministry of Works had notified the concessionaire of its default and was exploring available legal options.
He explained that, rather than immediately terminating the concession, the ministry had assembled about seven contractors and offered to allow them to intervene on the road at no cost to the concessionaire.
The concessionaire, however, reportedly insisted on undertaking the rehabilitation itself.
“They say, ‘No, we will fix it.’ So if we had said no, then they will now go and start earning money from federation account, which has been our fear. So we are watching them. We’ve left them. Let them fix the road,” Umahi said.
The minister also dismissed claims that the poor condition of the Benin-Asaba Road amounted to evidence of marginalisation of the Southeast, citing several major road projects undertaken by the Tinubu administration along the Lagos-Southeast corridor.
He noted that the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway had significantly improved movement from Lagos towards the Southeast.
Umahi also highlighted the rehabilitation of a 48-kilometre section towards Ore, saying President Tinubu had directed the use of concrete pavement because of the difficult condition of the road.
According to him, one carriageway of the 48-kilometre stretch has been completed, while work is ongoing on the other carriageway. He added that solar lighting and tree planting were also being introduced as part of the broader improvement of the route.
Earlier, Umahi expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 presidential election, citing the administration’s infrastructure investments and its relationship with the Southeast.
“President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, is going to win the 2027 election. He’s going to win,” he said, particularly pointing to what he described as the President’s growing political standing in Anambra State.
The minister also referenced the performance of progressive candidates in the state’s recent off-cycle elections as an indication of what he described as increasing acceptance of the Tinubu administration and its policies.