The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has directed the concessionaire handling the Benin-Asaba road to commence the process of withdrawing from the project, citing poor performance and failure to add value to the road.
Umahi also ordered the concessionaire to immediately remove all obstructions along the Benin-Asaba road to restore the free flow of traffic.
The minister gave the directive on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ engagement held at the Edo State Government House in Benin.
Umahi urged the concessionaire to formally communicate its willingness to withdraw from the project to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works.
“We are therefore pleading with you to give us written approval to proceed in this manner. We believe this is the way forward.
“Therefore, our directive going forward is that you should be removed from the site of this project, within the limits of our rights. You have added no value to the project,” he said.
He directed the Federal Ministry of Works to write to the independent engineer overseeing the project to assess and measure all works executed, excluding what he described as “negative work.”
Umahi explained that the removal of asphalt in violation of contractual terms and specifications would not be recognised as part of the value of work completed.
“When you remove asphalt contrary to the contract and contrary to the specifications, that is negative work.
“It will not be recognised as part of the value of work done. In fact, the cost of rectifying the damage must also be established,” he said.
The minister questioned the concessionaire’s capacity to restore the affected sections of the road, stressing that the government was concerned about the hardship being experienced by commuters and the possibility of public disorder.
“We have not stopped you from working, but if you continue doing what you are currently doing, we are not convinced that you will be able to avert the potential for public disorder in that area,” he added.
As part of measures to address the situation, Umahi directed that the affected portions of the road be reconstructed under the supervision of the independent engineer.
He also ordered the concessionaire to submit a technical design for proper stormwater canalisation, describing the measure as critical to preventing further damage to the road.
The minister further directed the concessionaire to restore damaged asphalt, redirect water currently flowing onto the carriageway and ensure the free movement of traffic along the road.
Responding, the Head of Legal and Compliance of the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC), Peterson Fabian, appealed to the government and other stakeholders to allow more time for further discussions and the consideration of alternative solutions.
“I believe that everything that is being discussed here is not conclusive in itself. We will have a more robust collaborative way of handling things going forward.
“Every stakeholder here, do allow us to have more time to engage. I believe that we will have more pathways forward to further collaborate,” he said.
Also speaking, Senator Allwell Onyesoh of the Senate Committee on Works said commuters and other road users had described the condition of the Benin-Asaba road as terrible.
He criticised the concession arrangement and questioned the capacity of the concessionaire to handle a project of such magnitude.
“The concessionaires and whoever pushed for this concession did not mean well for Nigeria, and this is a big lesson about concessionaires in Nigeria. We can see that it is not everybody that has the capacity to handle such a big project,” he said.
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo also expressed disappointment over the condition of the road, saying the engagement had highlighted several issues requiring urgent attention.
He said the state of the road was unacceptable given the length of time the project had been under consideration.
“Looking at the project at hand, looking at the road itself, looking at the suffering of the people and looking at how that road was before now, I felt sorry for those plying the road, especially Edo people.
“What we are seeing now is not what I should be seeing at this point after 16 months. Nothing has been done. To me, it is a total waste of resources. Whatever amount that has been put there, for me, is a total waste,” Okpebholo said.
