President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Works to urgently intervene in the worsening condition of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road, following days of gridlock that stranded motorists and commuters and disrupted movement of goods across the corridor.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying the President issued the directive in response to the hardship caused by the deteriorating highway.
“President Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Works to urgently intervene and ensure that necessary corrective actions are taken to restore movement on the affected roads as quickly as possible,” Umahi said in a statement issued by his media aide, Francis Nwaze.
Umahi said he had immediately commenced implementation of the directive and would personally lead the emergency intervention on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba corridor.
The minister arrived in Benin, Edo State, on Tuesday alongside members of the National Assembly Committees on Works to assess the situation and engage stakeholders on immediate remedial measures.
The meeting is expected to bring together officials of the Edo and Delta State governments, as well as representatives of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in a bid to find urgent solutions to the crisis confronting motorists along the route.
The highway has witnessed severe congestion in recent days following the failure of portions of the road and the deteriorating condition of the Benin-Agbor bypass.
The situation has severely disrupted interstate travel, with some commuters reportedly abandoning their vehicles and trekking to seek alternative means of transportation. The movement of goods and commercial activities along the corridor have also been affected.
Last Wednesday, residents and motorists protested the condition of the Benin-Agbor bypass, with videos showing vehicles struggling through badly damaged and muddy sections of the road.
Umahi, who accepted responsibility for the situation, apologised to commuters and assured them that immediate measures would be taken to restore traffic flow.
“We are determined to take immediate corrective measures while working towards permanent solutions,” he said.
The minister also directed the Minister of State for Works to lead a team of ministry officials to the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti axis to assess the condition of the road and commence emergency remedial works.
According to the ministry, the team was already on ground as of 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The intervention followed another directive from President Tinubu over the deteriorating condition of the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti road and the disruption to transportation along the route.
Umahi said the Federal Government’s response to both road crises would not be limited to temporary palliative measures, stressing that immediate interventions would be combined with permanent rehabilitation to ensure the long-term reliability of the affected highways.
