The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has apologised to motorists and commuters affected by the prolonged gridlock and deplorable condition of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway.
Umahi tendered the apology on Tuesday during an urgent Federal Government intervention on the strategic corridor, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to address the hardship faced by stranded motorists.
The minister, who arrived in Benin, Edo State capital, to assess the situation, took responsibility for the challenges confronting road users and assured them that immediate measures were being taken to ease the situation.
His arrival was disclosed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, who shared a video of the minister’s on-site inspection on his official X handle.
‘Umahi arrives in Benin, Edo State, to address the congestion on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road,’ Nwaze posted.
In another update, he wrote, ‘Umahi arrives Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road to resolve issues surrounding the road, which was handed over to concessionaire on PPP Basis since 2025.’
In an official statement issued on Tuesday, Nwaze said President Tinubu had ordered immediate corrective measures on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba expressway as well as the deplorable Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti road spanning Ekiti and Kogi States.
To implement the directive, Umahi deployed the Minister of State for Works and other ministry officials to commence remedial works on the Ekiti-Kogi corridor.
‘While the intervention team moved into Ekiti and Kogi States, Umahi himself headed to Benin, Edo State, alongside members of the National Assembly Works Committees, to initiate a similar coordinated intervention on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road.
‘The Benin meeting is expected to bring together key stakeholders, including representatives of the Edo and Delta State Governments and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with the aim of finding immediate solutions to the challenges confronting motorists on the strategic corridor,’ the statement partly read.
Nwaze said Umahi apologised to commuters who had been stranded or delayed for several hours and days, assuring them that the Federal Government’s response would not be limited to temporary relief.
‘He assured road users that the Federal Government’s response would go beyond temporary relief, with immediate measures being pursued alongside permanent solutions to restore the affected roads and improve their long-term reliability,’ the statement concluded.
The minister’s inspection came days after several people reportedly took to the Benin-Agbor Bypass to protest the condition of the road and demand urgent repairs.