By Jethro Ibileke
Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said the Federal Government has taken over the palliative rehabilitation of the Benin-Asaba Road to alleviate the suffering of motorists and commuters.
He stated this on Thursday in Benin at the flag-off of the palliative rehabilitation of the Benin-Asaba Highway.
Umahi said the decision became necessary after the ministry failed to secure the cooperation of the concessionaire handling the road.
According to him, the concession agreement stipulates that the Federal Government must obtain permission from the concessionaire before intervening, but the firm rejected the options presented by the ministry.
He clarified that the emergency palliative works were not awarded to Hi-Tech or any other contractor, stressing that the ministry only hired equipment for the intervention.
“We have deployed over 50 pieces of equipment to the site, and we are bringing in more. The palliative work is being carried out directly by the Ministry of Works in the interest of the public,” he said.
Umahi disclosed that the government had directed major contractors to work simultaneously on the three sections of the Benin-Asaba Road to restore failed portions.
He added that after the emergency intervention, the entire corridor would be redesigned and reconstructed with reinforced concrete pavement.
The minister noted that the palliative measures would also cover areas where the existing asphalt had been scraped off, leaving the base exposed to rainfall and worsening the condition of the road.
Umahi had earlier faulted the handling of the road by the concessionaire, prompting the ministry’s decision to intervene and mobilise other contractors to fix the failed sections.
