Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has issued a public apology to commuters and residents of Edo and Delta states over the deplorable condition of the Benin-Sapele Road, while ordering the immediate arrest of the contractor and concessionaire responsible for the project. The minister made the announcement on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, during an on-the-spot assessment of the highway in Benin City, Edo State, following widespread public outrage over the road's deteriorating state, which recently left motorists stranded for days at several failed portions.
Umahi expressed anger over the removal of existing asphalt without the construction of adequate side drains, describing the action as the destruction of public assets. He accused the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC) of lacking the technical competence to handle the project and warned that contractors who destroy existing federal roads risk arrest. "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 officials of the ministry to ensure that any concessionaire found removing asphalt from an existing federal road without authorisation is arrested. Addressing BAECC Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Daramola, Umahi accused the company of manipulating the concession process and questioned its technical capacity to undertake 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," he said.
Umahi disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had taken note of the road crisis and directed the Ministry of Works to rehabilitate the route urgently. He explained that while concession agreements operated under legal frameworks, the government could invoke public interest to override such agreements when citizens faced genuine hardship. The minister reiterated his apology to all commuters and residents affected by the road's poor condition and pledged that rehabilitation would start immediately.
In response, BAECC CEO Samuel Daramola blamed the slow pace of work on heavy rainfall and the high volume of traffic on the highway. He said the company had expanded sections of the highway to eight lanes and undertaken palliative works but was struggling to execute drainage works while simultaneously managing traffic. Daramola noted that the company was sometimes forced to reopen sections of the highway before construction materials had adequately cured because of pressure to keep traffic moving.
However, project consultant representative Toyin Akinlapa contradicted the concessionaire, 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," Akinlapa said.
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, who accompanied Umahi during the inspection, urged residents and youths to exercise patience as work progressed on the damaged stretch. He recalled how Tinubu had fulfilled his promise to reconstruct the Benin-Ekpoma road after their discussions and warned that Edo's critical location as a gateway to multiple regions meant that unrest in the state could destabilise the broader country.
The Federal Government has announced it would review all concessioned roads across the country to ensure that the terms of contract are met and that they are to the ease of the people. Umahi has also directed that competent contractors, including the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), be engaged to urgently fix the worst sections of the highway. As the government moves to address the crisis, commuters and residents of Edo and Delta states await concrete action to ease the hardship caused by the deplorable condition of the Benin-Sapele Road.
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