Umahi Orders Termination of Benin-Asaba Road Contract

On Wednesday, during a stakeholders’ engagement at Government House in Benin, Minister of Works David Umahi directed the Benin Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC) to write to the Federal Government to terminate their contract due to inadequate performance on the Benin-Asaba road project. Umahi emphasized the need for the concessionaire to remove all blockages to facilitate traffic flow and stated that their work had added no value to the project.

He requested the Federal Ministry of Works to engage an independent engineer to assess the work done, specifically excluding any negative work, which includes improper asphalt removal. Umahi expressed concerns about the concessionaire's capacity to rectify the road and suggested that affected sections be reconstructed under independent supervision.

Peterson Fabian, representing BAECC, requested more time for collaboration among stakeholders. Senator Allwell Onyesoh criticized the concessionaires for the poor state of the road, calling it a lesson about the concession system in Nigeria.