Umahi Defends Benin-Onitsha Road Concession Agreement

David Umahi, the Minister of Works, defended the Federal Government's management of the Benin-Onitsha road, which spans 125 kilometers and is under a 25-year concession. This concession restricts the government's ability to terminate the agreement and reassign the project to another contractor.

Umahi stated that the government is actively engaging with the concessionaire to expedite work on the road, while any intervention must comply with existing contractual and legal obligations. He clarified that the road's poor condition predates President Bola Tinubu's administration, which inherited numerous deteriorating federal roads.

Umahi emphasized that the government is bound by law and contract, and cannot arbitrarily terminate the concession without facing potential legal and financial repercussions. He noted that the Benin-Asaba Expressway is part of the Federal Government's Highway Development and Management Initiative, complicating the situation further.

The Ministry of Works is pressing the concessionaire to fulfill its obligations, indicating that the government has not abandoned the road.