The Presidency has blamed contractors handling the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway for the poor condition of the road, following reports that commuters were stranded for several days.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made the comments on Channels Television on Wednesday, August 26.
Dare said the Federal Government responded to the situation after public complaints emerged, deploying relevant officials and stakeholders to the affected section while demanding immediate intervention from the contractor.
He, however, cautioned against using the incident to judge the overall state of federal road projects across the country, saying several other roads had either been completed or were progressing without similar problems.
According to the presidential aide, the government was responsible for identifying roads requiring rehabilitation and providing the necessary funding, while contractors were expected to deliver the work according to agreed standards.
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“I think that first, these are isolated cases. And we all know by the nature of road construction, during the rainy season, you encounter problems like this.
“Whatever played out yesterday, we had all the stakeholders there. And it’s important that even though the contractor came out, even though he gave excuses, it showed a failure on their part,” Dare said.
His comments came a day after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, visited the troubled Benin-Agbor-Asaba road in Edo State to assess the situation.
Umahi apologised to commuters affected by the deteriorating condition of the road during his inspection.
The Benin-Agbor-Asaba corridor is an important transport route connecting parts of Edo and Delta states, and its poor condition has generated concerns over delays and the movement of people and goods.