The Presidency has described the recent deterioration of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway as an isolated incident, saying the Federal Government responded swiftly by deploying key stakeholders to the affected section and demanding immediate action from the contractor.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, stated this on Wednesday during an interview with Channels Television, while reacting to the condition of the highway and President Bola Tinubu’s directive for its redesign and total reconstruction.
Dare said the condition of the road should not be used to judge the performance of federal road projects nationwide, noting that several other roads had either been completed or were progressing without similar complaints.
“I think that first, these are isolated cases. And we all know by the nature of road construction, during rainy season, you encounter problems like this,” he said.
According to him, the government is responsible for identifying roads that require repairs and providing the necessary funding, while contractors must ensure proper execution of the projects.
Dare said the government’s response to the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road problem demonstrated its commitment to addressing infrastructure challenges.
“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,” he said.
His comments came a day after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, inspected the troubled section of the highway in Edo State and apologised to motorists over its condition.
Umahi took responsibility for the state of the road and condemned the concessionaire handling its reconstruction, directing moves towards its total reconstruction after concluding that palliative repairs would not provide a lasting solution.
Dare said the presence of the Works Minister, National Assembly members and other stakeholders at the site within a short period showed the government’s readiness to respond to infrastructure problems.
“Government has a responsibility to identify the roads that need to be fixed. Government has a responsibility to provide the funding. And then, the next responsibility goes to the contractors to do what is necessary.
“What we saw yesterday, the Minister, the National Assembly members, and other key stakeholders going there in record time, right on the spot. And I think that’s what good governance is about, responding as quickly and as swiftly as possible, putting the blame where it is, and requesting for immediate action,” he said.
The presidential aide maintained that the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road was not representative of all federal road projects, insisting that several roads across the country had been completed without similar complaints.
“I said these are isolated, but we have quite a number of other roads where there are no complaints, where the roads have been fixed,” Dare said.
He also defended the pace of ongoing road construction, saying motorists should expect some inconvenience while major projects are being executed.
Dare cited the Abuja-Lokoja corridor, which he said he recently travelled with about 65 journalists, noting that some sections had been completed while concrete construction was ongoing on others.
“A 100% solution, and I… you know, solutions are progressive,” he said.
He explained that major road projects were usually executed in sections, meaning motorists might have to use older portions of a highway temporarily while newly completed sections were opened.
“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 was currently implementing major road projects across the country, including five legacy roads and about 320 other roads.
He said the projects reflected Tinubu’s focus on infrastructure development, while commending the Ministry of Works for implementing the administration’s road construction programme.
“Is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on top of what’s happening? Absolutely,” Dare said. “We’re talking about five legacy roads; we’re talking about 320 roads across the length and breadth of our country.”
The Federal Government’s renewed focus on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba corridor followed mounting complaints over its worsening condition, which has disrupted transportation, damaged vehicles and increased the cost of movement and doing business along the route.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
What do you think about this?
Drop your opinion in the comment section.
FOLLOW US & Share this with someone who needs to see this.
