Umahi Orders Arrest Of Contractors Removing Asphalt From Existing Roads

The minister of works, David Umahi, has directed all Federal Controllers of Works and Engineering Representatives nationwide to arrest any contractor who completely removes asphalt from an existing road without proper authorisation.

Umahi issued the directive on Tuesday during an on-the-spot assessment of the deteriorating sections of the Benin-Asaba Highway, where motorists and host communities have raised concerns over worsening traffic conditions and the slow pace of ongoing reconstruction and expansion works.

As an immediate intervention, the minister directed that a competent contractor be engaged to urgently rehabilitate the critically failed portions of the highway and restore smoother traffic flow.

He assured motorists and residents along the corridor that the federal government was aware of their difficulties and was taking steps to alleviate the hardship caused by the ongoing project.

Umahi also apologised to Nigerians over the difficulties being experienced by road users, while warning contractors against practices capable of worsening the condition of existing roads.

The minister particularly condemned the removal of asphalt from portions of the highway that were still in good condition, saying the practice amounted to the destruction of an already stabilised road substructure.

The minister’s directive followed his criticism of the concessionaire handling the Benin-Asaba Highway project, the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC), over what he described as unprofessional conduct and slow progress despite repeated warnings from the Ministry of Works and the project’s Independent Engineer, Yolas Consultants Limited.

“You are not adhering to engineering best practices in road construction and your methodology is adversely impacting road users, host neighbourhoods and the pace of work,” Umahi told the concessionaire.

The minister said the manner in which the project was being executed was negatively affecting motorists, businesses and communities along the corridor.

The 125-kilometre Benin-Asaba Highway runs from the AIF Roundabout in Benin City, Edo State, to Summit Junction in Asaba, Delta State. It is a strategic federal highway linking the South-East, South-South and parts of the South-West, while facilitating the movement of passengers, agricultural produce, goods and other commercial activities.

The highway is one of the pilot corridors under Phase I of the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), which is being implemented through a public-private partnership arrangement.

The initiative is designed to leverage private-sector investment, technical expertise and operational capacity for the sustainable development and management of federal highways, while reducing pressure on the federal government’s finances.

The Federal Executive Council approved the concession of the Benin-Asaba Highway on January 16, 2023, under a Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) model for a 25-year concession period, including a three-year construction phase.

The concession agreement was subsequently executed on May 23, 2023, between the Ministry of Works and BAECC, the special-purpose vehicle established for the project.

However, macroeconomic volatility, rising inflation and increased financing costs later affected the project, resulting in an addendum to the concession agreement.

A comprehensive review was subsequently undertaken by the Ministry in collaboration with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Justice, Debt Management Office, Bureau of Public Enterprises and Federal Ministry of Environment, among other stakeholders.

Following the review, the project was formally handed over to BAECC on March 23, 2025, while a commencement order established a 36-month construction period from April 8, 2025, to April 8, 2028.

Since the commencement of the project, the Ministry said it had undertaken several technical engagements and inspections aimed at ensuring effective delivery.

These included the minister’s site inspection in October 2025, Project Delivery Team inspections in January and May 2026, as well as meetings between Ministry officials, BAECC and the Independent Engineer on July 21 and 22, 2026.

Umahi said the engagements had revealed that the project was not progressing as intended, largely because of shortcomings on the part of the concessionaire.

He said the concessionaire had repeatedly been directed to address the identified deficiencies and improve the pace and quality of construction.

Explaining the slow progress, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BAECC, Samuel Daramola, attributed the delays to the heavy volume of traffic along the corridor and persistent torrential rainfall.

Daramola described the highway as one of the most heavily trafficked routes in the country and said the corridor experiences two rainfall maxima, which had complicated construction activities.

Umahi, however, dismissed the explanations as “unprofessional and untenable excuses,” insisting that contractors must adopt appropriate engineering methods to minimise the impact of construction on road users.

The minister also apologised to Nigerians for the hardship caused by the project and said the federal government would not allow poor project execution to continue unchecked.

The Chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh and Hon. Akin Alabi, respectively, expressed concern over the condition of the highway.

They described what they witnessed as “an unacceptable disaster” and promised a comprehensive review of highway concession agreements nationwide to ensure that concessionaires comply strictly with the terms of their contracts.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South-South Zone, Mrs. Gift Johnbull, also assured residents that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was aware of their plight and had directed that lasting solutions be found.

The Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, assured residents and motorists that steps were being taken to resolve the challenges along the highway. He appealed for patience as the intervention progresses.

A follow-up meeting involving the Federal Government, the concessionaire, Edo State Government and other stakeholders was scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Edo State Government House.

The minister and his team also inspected the ongoing reconstruction of 23 kilometres of failed sections of the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road using Continuous Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP).

The project, being undertaken by the Edo State Government on behalf of the Federal Government, is being executed by CBC Global Civil and Building Construction (Nig.) Limited.

Umahi was informed that the project had reached 75 per cent completion and expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of work.

The team also inspected the reconstruction of a 10-kilometre stretch of the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road, Section I, Phase 2, which is also being undertaken by the Edo State Government on behalf of the federal government.

The project, being executed by CCECC (Nigeria) Limited using CRCP technology, had reached about 25 per cent completion and was progressing steadily.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, announced that the commission would reconstruct a critically failed 15.4-kilometre section of the Benin-Sapele Road between the Edo and Delta State border.

Ogbuku said the intervention was aimed at addressing one of the most severely damaged portions of the road and improving connectivity between the two states.

Umahi commended the NDDC for the intervention and directed officials of the Ministry and the commission to work together to develop the modalities for executing the project.

The minister said the combined interventions were part of efforts by the Federal Government and its partners to restore critical transport infrastructure, ease the burden on motorists and ensure that major economic corridors remain functional.