Okpebholo Appeals To Edo Residents Over Benin–Agbor Road

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo state has appealed to residents and youths in the state to remain calm as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to address the deplorable condition of the Benin–Agbor Road.

Okpebholo made the appeal in a statement posted on his social media handles on Wednesday, following an inspection of the troubled highway with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, members of the National Assembly, officials of the Federal Ministry of Works and other stakeholders.

The governor said the inspection provided an opportunity to assess the condition of the road and the difficulties faced daily by commuters and residents using the major route.

He said Umahi had apologised to the people of Edo and Delta states over the condition of the road and directed immediate measures to address the situation.

According to Okpebholo, the minister also ordered action against contractors allegedly removing asphalt from federal roads without authorisation.

He described Edo as a major gateway connecting different parts of the country, stressing that his administration would continue to collaborate with the Federal Government to restore critical road infrastructure and reduce the hardship faced by residents.

The governor commended President Bola Tinubu for responding to concerns over the road and urged residents to exercise patience while efforts were being intensified to provide lasting relief.

“I appeal to our youths and residents to remain calm as efforts are intensified to bring lasting relief to road users,” he said.

The renewed intervention followed growing complaints over the deteriorating condition of the Benin–Agbor–Asaba corridor, which has disrupted transportation, damaged vehicles and increased the cost of movement and business activities along the route.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has described the situation on the highway as an isolated incident, insisting that the Federal Government responded swiftly after the road deteriorated.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said the government immediately deployed key stakeholders to the affected section and demanded urgent action from the contractor handling the project.

Speaking on Channels Television on Wednesday, Dare said the condition of the road should not be used as a yardstick for assessing federal road projects nationwide.

He attributed some challenges associated with road construction to the rainy season but acknowledged that the contractor had failed in its responsibility.

“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,” Dare said.

His comments came a day after Umahi inspected the road and apologised to commuters over the hardship caused by its condition.

During the inspection, the minister condemned the performance of the concessionaire handling the reconstruction and concluded that palliative repairs would not provide a lasting solution.

He subsequently directed moves towards the total reconstruction of the road.

Dare said the presence of the minister, National Assembly members and other stakeholders at the site demonstrated the administration’s commitment to responding quickly to infrastructure challenges.

He maintained that the Benin–Agbor–Asaba road situation was not representative of the condition of all federal roads, noting that several other projects had either been completed or were progressing without similar complaints.

The presidential aide also defended the pace of road construction nationwide, saying some level of inconvenience was inevitable while major projects were being executed.

He cited the Abuja–Lokoja corridor, where he said he recently observed completed sections and ongoing concrete construction while travelling with about 65 journalists.

According to Dare, road construction is often executed in phases, meaning motorists may temporarily rely on older sections while new portions are completed and opened to traffic.

He said the Tinubu administration was currently implementing major road projects, including five legacy projects and about 320 roads across the country.

Dare added that the scale of the ongoing projects reflected the administration’s focus on infrastructure development.

“Is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on top of what’s happening? Absolutely,” he said.