President Tinubu ordered intervention on Benin-Asaba Road, vows to end commuters’ hardship

... Ikpoba Hill Youths, men, women would work with Edo State governor - Kingsley Osemwingie 

From Chris Akhabue, Edo 

President Bola Tinubu has ordered an emergency intervention on the 125-kilometre Benin-Asaba Road following worsening deterioration, severe gridlock and prolonged delays experienced by motorists and communities along the corridor.

Represented by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, the President said the intervention was aimed at responding to the hardship suffered by road users on the critical highway linking Edo and Delta states with other parts of the country.

The President spoke on Thursday in Benin during the inauguration of the emergency intervention on the road.

He said the Benin-Asaba corridor had been concessioned under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement to the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC), with the expectation that the road would be completed within three years.

Tinubu, however, said the pace and manner of execution had fallen short of the terms of the concession agreement, resulting in worsening road conditions and hardship for motorists.

“We are here today not to witness the commencement of another road project. We are witnessing the response of a government that has heard the cries of its people and has chosen to act. That is why today’s intervention is truly a rescue operation,” he said.

Governor Okpebholo, on behalf of the people of Edo, thanked President Tinubu for responding to the concerns of commuters and communities along the corridor.

He also commended the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for his commitment and personal intervention in efforts to restore the road.

The governor urged the contractors handling the emergency works to ensure quality construction, comply strictly with approved specifications and complete the work within the agreed timeframe.

“To the new contractor, this is a road of great economic importance to Edo, Delta and Nigeria.

“We expect quality work, strict compliance with the approved project specifications, and delivery within the agreed timeframe, there must be no excuses,” he said.

Okpebholo also appealed to communities and commuters who had endured prolonged gridlock and delays to remain patient, saying their complaints had been heard.

He said the intervention should mark the beginning of the end of the hardship experienced on the Benin-Asaba corridor.

 Umahi said the Federal Ministry of Works had taken over the immediate palliative rehabilitation of the road in the interest of the public.

Also addressing the guests present at the road flag off, the Chairman of Ikpoba Hill Youths Forum, Comrade Kingsley Osemwingie thanked the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his swift response to the cry of Edo people due to the deplorable situation of the Benin- Asaba express way.

"I want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Minister For Works, Engineer David Umahi and the working governor of Edo State, his Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo for the swift response to the cry of Edo people concerning the deplorable situation of the Benin- Asaba express way which has become a perennial problem to the people who ply the road and also the good people of Ikpoba Hill who live around the road corridor.

" Recall that sometime ago we did protest on the bad situation of the road and we barricaded the road in a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the government to the dangerous situation of the road and the governor of Edo State His Excellency Senator Monday Okpebholo sent his people to come and talk to us and we listened to him and today we can see that our governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo and the Federal Minister Engr David Umahi have distinguished themselves as leaders who listen and that, they have demonstrated, by bringing a known and competent construction company  to fix our road and we have no doubt that this new Construction Company that you brought will deliver.

"I will not leave this place without thanking the governor of Edo State His Excellency Senator Monday Okpebholo for the good work he is doing in Ikpoba Hill in particular and the entire Edo State in general . Go and take a look at the Amufi road to Okpagha, it is lylon tie, go and take a look at the Ohovbe road to Aduwawa, and others time won't permit me to name one after the other and I want to tell my Ikpoba Hill Youths that the governor has equally commissioned some other roads to be rehabilitated in Ikpoba Hill and the governor has also promised to bring other dividends of democracy to Ikpoba Hill and we the youths of Ikpoba Hill are excited and as a result, we are going to join hands with the elderly, the women and the men of Ikpoba Hill to work with our working governor  to ensure that the 2.5 million votes for the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is actualized".

He however appealed to the governor to consider the rehabilitation of Jehovah Road, RCC road and Iguomo road all in Ikpoba Hill in Ikpoba Okha local government area of the state