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By News Desk
BENIN CITY, Nigeria — The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has issued an apology to Nigerians and commuters traveling along the Benin-Agbor-Asaba and Benin-Sapele corridors following severe gridlock and infrastructural decay that left travellers stranded for days.
The minister’s site inspection and public admission of responsibility came after mounting public anger, bringing renewed focus to earlier warnings issued by 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi regarding the condition of existing federal highways.
On-Site Inspection and Contractor Backlash
During an emergency assessment of the affected highway sections, Umahi expressed disappointment over the execution of the public-private partnership arrangement governing the route:
The minister accused the assigned concessionaire of stripping over 30 kilometers of asphalt without completing the necessary rehabilitation work, creating dangerous traps and massive bottlenecks for commuters. Umahi accepted full responsibility on behalf of the ministry for the widespread distress caused to residents and road users in Edo and Delta states, while ordering the arrest of contractors found removing asphalt without executing immediate repairs.
Political Debate and Public Reaction
The developments on the Benin-Asaba route have reignited political debates surrounding federal infrastructure priorities and civic accountability:
Months prior to the crisis, Peter Obi had publicly highlighted the deteriorating state of the same highway, urging the Federal Government to prioritize the rehabilitation of vital existing arterial roads over launching costly new mega-projects. At the time, Umahi dismissed the criticisms and challenged Obi to a public debate regarding construction metrics and governance costs.
Commentators and opposition figures have framed the minister’s apology as an implicit validation of Obi’s warnings, calling for stricter oversight and immediate emergency repairs to restore smooth transit across the South-South and South-East transport hubs.
