ON October 10, 2024, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori sent Charles Aniagwu, his Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information to inspect the extent of rehabilitation needed to reduce the excruciating challenge motorists driving through Asaba to the Eastern part of the country face due to collapsed sections on that axis of the Benin-Asaba highway.
The Governor was worried that the diversion of heavy duty trucks from the failed portions of the Asaba end of the Benin- Asaba highway, a federal road, was harming the durability of internal roads in Asaba, the state capital, as motorists, especially articulated vehicles, are forced to divert to internal roads. He wanted to fix the collapsed sections so that motorists driving through Asaba axis to the South East can do so with some measure of comfort.
While Aniagwu was undertaking the inspection, officials of the Federal Ministry of Works in Asaba joined him to deliver the often repeated reminder that the road belongs to the Federal Government and contract for its rehabilitation has being awarded. That was a false claim made in 2023 as well as the preceding years when the road’s integrity was progressively degrading. At the end of the day, minimum palliative works are carried out only for the early rains the following year to wash away the gravels routinely deposited at the worse spots.
In the past two years, Governor Oborevwori rehabilitated other federal roads in the state, which for over 10 years were abandoned by the Federal Government. They include the Warri – Sapele – Benin Highway, and the Sapele – Abraka – Agbor Road. He has completed the reconstruction of the Asaba – Ughelli dual carriageway as well as the Asaba -Benin Expressway as acknowledged by the Federal Ministry of Information. However, the Asaba end of the gateway to the south East is a different ball game. The road leads not just to the entire south East but the south south states as well, given the deplorable state of the East-West road. In effect, traffic of articulated and heavy-duty vehicles is heavy.
Unfortunately, there is no framework for regular maintenance of such critical roads. The Ezenei axis of the failed portions in Asabahas been neglected for more than five years. The best the Federal Ministry of Works did within the period is filling the resultant gullies with stones yearly only to be washed off again with the onset of a new rainy season.
The rehabilitation of federal roads has been a sticking point in the relationship between the federal and state governments. Some states have resorted to repairing abandoned federal roads and got reimbursed afterwards. Sometime ago, the federal government decided it will no longer reimburse states after repairing failed federal roads in their domain. For Delta State, it did not discourage successive governors from repairing failed sections. The denial by federal Works ministry officials of Delta’s request has not been explained despite repeated false claims of awards of contract for the repairs. If making the roads motorable for commuters is the objective, then Mr. David Umahi and his ministry owe Nigerians explanation for denying Delta the permission to undertake the rehabilitation, with false claims of earlier awards of the contracts.
While the ministry plays dubious politics with federal roads domiciled in states, road users go through unimaginable nightmare traversing the federal roads. For the people not knowledgeable on the dynamics of road construction and maintenance between the federal government and states, the governors are guilty of negligence and failing in their responsibility.
It is obvious that the present arrangement is not working. It is time to review the system to enable states to rehabilitate failed federal roads without an encumbrance. If the concern of the federal government is over valuation of contracts by states, there are credible ways of ensuring that amounts are amicably justly agreed on. However, we believe such arrangements are now outdated. Having constructed the roads, states should take over their maintenance and rehabilitation without refunds from the federal government. The bottom line is to keep our roads safe. We call on David Umahi and the federal Ministry of Works to urgently attend to the failed sections in Asaba that are the gateway to South Eeast.
