Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Minister of Works, David Umahi, has strongly criticised the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC) over the worsening condition of the Benin-Asaba Highway, accusing the concessionaire of lacking the technical expertise needed to properly execute the project.
Umahi spoke in Benin City during an on-the-spot inspection of the highway, following widespread complaints over its deplorable state, which recently left motorists stranded for days at several failed sections.
The minister was particularly angered by the removal of existing asphalt without the construction of proper side drains, describing the action as a destruction of public infrastructure and a major contributor to the deterioration of the road.
According to him, the concessionaire would have been arrested for removing asphalt from the existing road without approval.
“I commend Governor Monday Okpebholo for his intervention on several federal roads across the state.
“He is not saying this is a federal or state road. I apologise to commuters plying this road.
“I am disappointed with the concessionaire. I take full responsibility for their misdeeds and destruction of public assets.
“The Ministry of Works does not allow the removal of asphalt. We begged them not to remove it. The concessionaire should have been arrested for destroying public property”, Umahi said.
The Minister directed the ministry to arrest any concessionaire found removing asphalt from existing federal roads without authorisation.
Addressing BAECC Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Daramola, the minister accused the company of manipulating the concession process and questioned its technical capacity to handle a major highway project.
“You manipulated the process to get the job. You have no knowledge of road construction. You don’t know what you are doing. You have no technical staff or competence,” Umahi said.
He added that the Federal Government had been compelled to intervene because of the danger posed to motorists and commuters.
“The President has directed us to do whatever is possible to fix this road. The law is there; there is overriding public interest. It is also the fault of government for not finding out the competency of concessionaires.
“You are learning how to do construction on our road. This is dangerous,” he said.
He further revealed that President Bola Tinubu had directed the redesign of roads from Kogi through Edo State to Warri, with concrete pavement to be considered for the reconstruction.
“We need total reconstruction of this road and not this palliative,” he declared.
The visibly angry Minister also said the Federal Government would engage competent contractors to restore the failed portions of the highway, while directing that the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) be approached to fix the worst sections around Asaba.
Responding to the minister, BAECC CEO Samuel Daramola attributed the slow pace of work to heavy rainfall and intense vehicular traffic.
He said the company had expanded sections of the highway to eight lanes and carried out palliative works, but was struggling to execute drainage works because of the volume of traffic.
“We are wrestling with the weather as much as we want to keep to the scope of work. We have to choose between doing side drains and combating heavy traffic,” he explained.
According to him, the company was sometimes forced to reopen sections of the road before construction materials had adequately cured because of the need to keep traffic moving.
He, however, assured that BAECC remained committed to completing the project and protecting its reputation.
The representative of the project consultant, Engr. Toyin Akinlapa, contradicted the concessionaire’s position, saying the company had ignored professional advice on the proper sequence of construction.
“The concessionaire did not heed our instructions. We told them to first do the drains, but they ignored us, an
