Minister of the Regional Development Commission, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, and NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai, inspecting the reconstruction of the Sapele-Benin Expressway in Delta State. With them are the NDDC Director, Edo State Office, Mr Friday Ehiorobo (left); the NDDC Director, UIDW, Engr. Kingsley Oboh (right); and the Site Manager, Engr. Michel Isah (2nd right).
Momoh demands faster pace, warns against compromising road users’ safety; 15.4km failed sections undergoing reconstruction
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has intensified efforts to restore the damaged sections of the Benin-Sapele Expressway linking Edo and Delta states, following an inspection tour by the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, who expressed concern over the slow pace of work and charged the construction firm to accelerate the reconstruction.
Momoh, who inspected the ongoing project alongside the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai, urged the contractor to expedite work to ease the hardship faced by motorists and commuters and restore safety on the strategic highway.
The minister’s intervention comes amid concerns over the deplorable condition of the road, which serves as a major transportation corridor for the South-South region and facilitates the movement of people, goods and services between Edo and Delta states.
He commended the NDDC for undertaking the reconstruction of approximately 15.4 kilometres of failed sections of the expressway, describing the intervention as significant to improving connectivity and stimulating economic activities in the two states.
However, he admonished the construction firm to address the identified shortcomings and quicken the pace of work, stressing the need for timely delivery of the project.
Momoh assured that observations made during the inspection would receive the necessary attention, adding that relevant government agencies and contractors would be encouraged to take appropriate measures to address the defects identified.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to providing durable road infrastructure that would improve transportation and support economic activities across states along the East-West Road corridor.
In his remarks, Antai assured that the Commission would accelerate the reconstruction of the 15.4-kilometre stretch, explaining that the intervention was designed to restore the road after prolonged deterioration had made sections of it almost impassable.
He said the condition of the road had, until recently, caused serious traffic congestion and accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles.
“In the past two months, the road was impassable; trucks were falling over, causing lots of gridlock, but with the intervention of NDDC, none of that is happening again,” he said.
Antai explained that the reconstruction was being executed in phases to avoid a complete shutdown of the busy highway and minimise disruption to commuters and commercial activities.
“The damaged sections of the road under repair by NDDC cover 15.4 kilometres, but we are taking the repairs in stages because the road is a major artery in the South-South region. Therefore, we can’t shut down the entire stretch at once,” he said.
He thanked President Tinubu for his commitment to the development of the Niger Delta, assuring that the NDDC Board and management, led by Chairman, Mr Chiedu Ebie, and Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, remained committed to delivering on the Commission’s mandate.
The construction firm’s site manager, Engr. Michel Isah, attributed the delay in the project to adverse weather conditions but assured that the reconstruction would be completed within three months, provided weather conditions remained favourable.
The inspection covered sections of the road at Ibada Elume in Warri-Sapele Local Government Area, Mosogar in Ethiope West Local Government Area and Okwadede in Sapele Local Government Area.
The NDDC intervention is expected to improve road safety, reduce travel delays and facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, petroleum products and other goods along the Benin-Sapele corridor.
With the minister’s call for an accelerated pace of construction, attention will now be on the contractor to meet the three-month completion timeline and ensure that the reconstructed sections provide lasting relief to road users.
