…Pledges Urgent Rehabilitation Of Benin – Sapele Road
By Charles Ebi and ABAH ADAH, Abuja
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on Friday said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has completed a total of 260 palliative road projects in the last two years.
Umahi, who spoke in Abuja at the Ministerial Press Briefing, said the palliative road projects gulped the sum of N208bn.
To this end, he said 29 major infrastructure projects, totalling over N2trn, are being undertaken, saying that the projects demonstrated the President’s unparalleled dedication to revitalising the country’s national infrastructure.
He said, “In just two years, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has completed 260 palliative road projects nationwide, costing N208bn.
“Beyond this, 29 major infrastructure projects, totalling over N2tn, have been undertaken, demonstrating an unparalleled dedication to revitalising our national infrastructure”.
Umahi also announced that the President had directed that local contractors and developers be developed to grow the economy.
Under the new arrangement, the Minister said five engineers who are not at work would be posted to the legacy project sites to learn.
He said, “And let me also announce that Mr. President directed that we must grow the local contractors. We must grow our local engineers.
“And so, we have a programme which we called ‘The New Tool Programme’, whereby in every state we are getting five civil engineers who are not at work and we are posting them to these four legacy projects and other legacy projects of the country so that they can learn.
“We can’t continue to use foreign contractors to grow our economy. You go to China, you find out who is working. We have to grow our people’’.
On the London Show saga, Umahi urged Nigerians to discard the media report, saying that he did not discuss travelling to London with anyone.
While calling the report social media jargon, the Minister said he has not been to London in the past two years.
“Before I round off, let me say that I saw when people posted that we are going to London. I’ve never been to London in the past two years. I never discussed with anybody about going to London.
“I have too much work to do here, and I never talked about going to London. And so, we shouldn’t just take things that are on social media to be true. Nobody discussed going to London with me. And let me say that for a minister to travel out of the country, the rule is that you must get a written approval from the President.
“So, this is social media jargon and should not be taken seriously. Nobody discussed with me. I’m not aware.
“I’m not aware that any of the other ministers are aware about going to London. And so, please disregard it and let us not join issues with social media.
“Because they would have sent a text to us before they began to condemn us, even as governor, before I travelled out of the country, I had always taken permission from the sitting president’’, Umahi said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, has reiterated its commitment to urgent intervention on the severely deteriorated Benin–Sapele Road, particularly the section leading to Obayantor in Edo State.
The pledge follows a formal appeal by the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, BORBDA, which highlighted the road’s deteriorating condition and the attendant socio-economic impact.
During a strategic meeting held at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja, the Minister of State, Bello M. Goronyo, who represented the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, expressed concern over insecurity and economic paralysis being experienced in that axis as a result of the road’s poor condition.
In a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Mohammed Ahmed, the Minister said: “I have listened with a heavy heart to your presentations. The kidnappings along that corridor, the economic losses, and the direct threat to food security are not palatable.
“This is not just about roads; it’s about national stability and the well-being of our people. I assure you that the ministry, under the leadership of Engr Umahi is committed to acting swiftly and decisively”.
The Managing Director of Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, BORBDA, Dr Adekanmbi Samuel, gave a detailed account of the challenges along the 24-kilometre stretch, emphasising the insecurity, economic dislocation, and impact on agriculture and power infrastructure.
He stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration in supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergency declaration on food security.
Earlier, the Director of Highways, Bridges and Design, Engr Bede Obioha, who stood in for the permanent secretary, acknowledged the urgency of the issues raised and commended the spirit of cooperation.
“We welcome engagements like this as they help us identify critical gaps. This ministry remains responsive and committed to resolving transport-related challenges, wherever they occur,” he affirmed, assuring that the concerns raised would be captured for prompt action.
