Umahi Orders Emergency Repairs, Redesign Of Benin-Asaba Road
ASABA — The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has ordered the immediate mobilisation of major contractors to all three sections of the deteriorating Benin-Asaba Road, directing the Federal Government to fund emergency repair works on the highway.
Umahi gave the directive on Wednesday, saying the worsening condition of the strategic road had made urgent intervention necessary despite contractual restrictions arising from its existing concession agreement.
The minister said public interest must now take precedence over the concession arrangement, following the failure to secure the concessionaire’s approval for government intervention on the road.
According to him, he had during a recent inspection of the highway assembled contractors and directed them to prepare for palliative works. However, the concession agreement required the consent of the concessionaire before the Federal Government could proceed.
Umahi said permission was not granted, prompting him to present three alternative options to the concessionaire, none of which was accepted.
He further disclosed that after his departure from Asaba, the number of equipment deployed to the road was reduced to just one, making any meaningful intervention difficult.
Following the development, the minister ordered the immediate deployment of major contractors to the three sections of the Benin-Asaba Road, with the Federal Government taking responsibility for the cost of the emergency repairs.
In addition to the immediate intervention, Umahi directed the complete redesign of the Benin-Asaba route for reinforced concrete pavement, describing the proposed solution as a more durable response to the recurring deterioration of the highway.
The latest directive comes amid emergency maintenance works on the ageing First Niger Bridge, popularly known as the Onitsha Headbridge.
The bridge was closed to traffic on Monday, September 7, with the Federal Government scheduling the emergency maintenance for completion by September 21.
The repair programme includes the removal of the deteriorated asphalt surface and the laying of an approximately 40mm asphalt wearing course. Damaged bridge components affected by vandalism are also being repaired.
To ease the impact of the closure on commuters, motorists have been advised to use the Second Niger Bridge through Obosi towards Asaba and other destinations.
The Federal Government also plans to install solar-powered streetlights and closed-circuit television cameras around the bridge as part of measures to improve security, enhance visibility and prevent vandalism.
Umahi said the government was simultaneously addressing other critical federal highways across the country, including the Benin-Sapele, Ifaki-Kabba, Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano, Bauchi-Jigawa, Sagamu-Ore and East-West roads.
Other routes listed by the minister include the Abuja-Lokoja, Lokoja-Benin-Warri corridors and sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Highway.
He said more than 80 per cent of the federal roads inherited by the current administration were receiving attention, stressing that the government was committed to developing infrastructure capable of serving Nigerians for several decades.
Umahi defended the administration’s focus on concrete pavement, noting that properly constructed concrete roads could have a lifespan of between 50 and 100 years.
“The concerns of Nigerians are legitimate, and we are listening. But we cannot resolve every challenge accumulated over the years within three years,” the minister said.
He explained that the emergency interventions were aimed at restoring key transport corridors, improving road safety and reducing the hardship faced by motorists, commuters and businesses dependent on the affected routes.
