The presidency on Wednesday, August 26, blamed the contractor handling the Benin-Agbor-Asaba expressway of failing to fix the road, saying the delay caused the severe gridlock that stranded motorists for days.
Sunday Dare, special adviser to president Bola Tinubu on media and public communications, made the disclosure while speaking about the crisis and the federal government’s response.
Dare said the contractor’s performance amounted to a failure, despite explanations offered by the company during a meeting with government officials and other stakeholders.
“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.
The Benin-Agbor-Asaba highway had been severely congested for nearly two weeks, leaving commuters and motorists stranded and disrupting the movement of goods between Edo and Delta states.
Businesses dealing in perishable goods were among those affected, as lengthy delays along the route reportedly caused losses for traders and other commercial operators.
The situation prompted demands for urgent intervention on the major route linking Benin City in Edo state with Agbor and Asaba in Delta state.
Dare said while the government was responsible for identifying roads requiring attention and providing funds for their rehabilitation, contractors were expected to execute the assigned projects to the required standard.
“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,” he said.
He said the government moved quickly once the situation worsened, pointing to the intervention led by David Umahi, minister of works, alongside members of the national assembly and other stakeholders.
Umahi inspected the highway on Tuesday, August 25, and apologised to commuters and motorists affected by the worsening condition of the road.
Following the inspection, the minister directed steps towards the complete reconstruction of the highway, saying temporary repairs would not address the underlying problems.
Dare described the situation as an isolated failure and urged that it should not be used to judge the federal government’s overall performance in road infrastructure.
He said the swift arrival of the minister, lawmakers and other stakeholders at the scene demonstrated the government’s willingness to respond promptly to infrastructure emergencies.
“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,” Dare said.
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