The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, has called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to review the concession agreement for the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road and assess the capacity of contractors handling the project.
Igali made the call on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, a day after Umahi inspected the troubled highway in Edo State and apologised to motorists over the worsening condition of the road.
While welcoming the minister’s intervention, the PANDEF chairman said a physical inspection of the road would not be enough without a comprehensive assessment of the concession arrangements and the performance of the contractors.
“There may be a need to have a more comprehensive holistic overview of the concessions and the state of what the contractors are doing.”
Igali questioned the pace of work on the highway, noting that the presence of construction equipment had not translated into commensurate progress.
“You see equipment and some level of work being done but not much progress is seen.”
He also commended the attention being given to the road by the Federal Government, the National Assembly and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), but urged authorities to extend the same level of intervention to other areas of concern.
“We are happy by the response, by the fact that you have the minister, the National Assembly, the NNDC shows responsiveness but I think it should be escalated to all other areas where there are concerns.”
The Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road is a major transport corridor linking the South-South and South-East with other parts of the country and carries significant passenger and commercial traffic.
Its deteriorating condition has resulted in prolonged travel times, gridlock, vehicle damage and difficulties in the movement of people and goods.
Igali’s call comes amid renewed pressure on the Federal Government to ensure faster delivery of critical road projects and strengthen oversight of contractors executing major infrastructure under concession arrangements.
