Umahi Cracks Down On Contractors As Benin-Asaba, Asaba-Onitsha Roads Face Emergency Repairs
By NWAFOR AZINGE
Minister Moves to Address Major Road Failures
THE Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has ordered urgent intervention on several failed sections of the Benin-Asaba Highway and adjoining federal roads while directing officials to arrest the Managing Director of Hartland Nigeria Limited over the alleged abandonment of the Asaba-Onitsha road project.
Umahi issued the directives during an inspection of major road and bridge projects around Asaba and the Niger Bridge corridor, where he expressed concern over the hardship faced by motorists and the slow pace of some federally funded projects.
The minister gave the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, a 14-day deadline to repair damaged sections of the Benin-Asaba Highway and restore service lanes affected by construction activities on the access road to the Second Niger Bridge.
At the same time, he ordered ministry officials to locate and arrest the Managing Director of Hartland Nigeria Limited over the contractor’s alleged failure to complete the 11-kilometre Asaba-Onitsha road project despite receiving about ₦14 billion.
The inspection marked one of the Federal Government’s strongest interventions yet on the critical transport corridor linking Delta, Edo, Anambra and other parts of southern Nigeria.
CCECC Given 14 Days to Repair Failed Sections
Umahi expressed particular concern about the condition of sections of the Benin-Asaba Highway around Ubulu-Okiti and Onicha-Ugbo, as well as service lanes connecting motorists to the Second Niger Bridge access road.
He directed CCECC to immediately restore areas where asphalt had been removed during construction.
The minister insisted that contractors could not carry out projects while leaving road users exposed to prolonged hardship.
He specifically directed the company to repair failed sections between Chainage 103 and 105, as well as Chainage 106 and 107.
The affected areas cover approximately four kilometres of dual carriageway.
Umahi said the sections should receive emergency attention to ease congestion and reduce the suffering of motorists and transporters.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Works had the technical capacity to intervene directly. However, an existing concession agreement governing the Benin-Asaba road had complicated direct government action.
He said the Federal Government had already written to the concessionaire over concerns about inadequate maintenance.
Nevertheless, Umahi maintained that contractual arrangements could not become an excuse for allowing Nigerians to remain stranded for hours or days.
Minister Questions Quality of Previous Road Works
The minister also criticised aspects of the road work carried out along the corridor.
He said sections where asphalt had been removed between kilometres eight and 15 had not been properly restored.
Umahi further expressed concern over reports that newly laid asphalt had failed shortly after construction.
He described such failures as unacceptable and raised questions about workmanship and construction standards.
The minister said the Federal Government would explore lawful options for intervening wherever necessary to protect motorists and economic activities.
The Benin-Asaba corridor remains one of the most important transportation routes linking the South-South and South-East.
Persistent failures along the highway have caused traffic delays, vehicle damage, increased transport costs and losses of productive hours for businesses and travellers.
Hartland MD Faces Arrest Order Over Asaba-Onitsha Project
The minister’s inspection also took a dramatic turn at the Asaba-Onitsha road project.
Umahi ordered officials of the Federal Ministry of Works to locate and arrest the Managing Director of Hartland Nigeria Limited over the alleged failure to complete the project.
The 11-kilometre project runs from Summit Junction in Asaba to the Head Bridge in Onitsha.
According to Umahi, the contractor had received approximately ₦14 billion under an agreement to complete the road and carry out channelisation and other hydraulic works.
However, he said only about 40 per cent of the agreed work had reportedly been completed.
The minister directed officials to review all certificates and payments associated with the project.
He also ordered steps to recover public funds through the banking system where necessary.
The directive signals a stronger push by the Federal Government to hold contractors accountable for projects that have received substantial public funding but remain incomplete.
Failed Road Sections Worsen Traffic Gridlock
Umahi directed immediate repairs around the Head Bridge, where failed portions of the road have contributed to traffic congestion and delays.
The route remains critical to commercial activities between Asaba and Onitsha.
The condition of the road affects traders, transport operators, businesses and commuters who depend on the Niger Bridge corridor.
The minister said contractors had a responsibility to protect motorists during construction and could not abandon dangerous sections without adequate safety measures.
He also warned that the Ministry of Works would take action against contractors whose conduct exposed Nigerians to avoidable risks.
Vandalism Threatens First Niger Bridge
Beyond road construction, Umahi raised alarm over what he described as serious vandalism of infrastructure around the First Niger Bridge.
He said vandals had removed expansion joints, bolts and steel components from parts of the bridge.
According to him, some of the stolen components were critical to the bridge’s operation.
The minister said the scale of damage required urgent repairs.
He directed officials to salvage and weld components that could still be used and replace missing bolts and steel.
He also ordered milling and asphalt works on affected sections.
Umahi explained that movement experienced on the bridge did not necessarily mean structural failure.
He said bridges were designed with bearings that allowed controlled movement.
However, he said the government would address concerns associated with the bridge’s heavy dead load and deteriorating surfaces.
CCTV, Solar Lights Planned to Stop Vandals
To protect the bridge from further vandalism, Umahi announced plans to install solar-powered streetlights and CCTV surveillance systems.
The system, he said, would support real-time monitoring and collaboration with security agencies.
He urged Nigerians to treat the protection of public infrastructure as a collective responsibility.
According to him, vandalism should not be viewed through political or partisan lenses.
He described it as a national problem that required the cooperation of citizens and security agencies.
The minister also ordered officials to take action against illegal dredging and other activities capable of endangering public infrastructure.
Second Niger Bridge Access Road Gets Fresh Attention
Umahi also inspected the ongoing access road to the Second Niger Bridge.
He said the Federal Government remained committed to completing the project to ensure that the bridge could be fully utilised.
The project was awarded to CCECC in March 2025 at an estimated cost of about ₦148 billion.
It involves the construction of flyovers, bridges, culverts, retaining structures and dual carriageways.
Officials said about 4.4 kilometres of the dual carriageway had been completed, representing approximately 26.7 per cent progress.
Umahi acknowledged that funding constraints had slowed the project following the stoppage of funding under the NNPC tax-credit arrangement.
However, he said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved an alternative funding mechanism.
The minister urged CCECC to continue working and assured the company that the government would honour its financial obligations.
He warned that leaving completed structures unattended could expose them to erosion and increase the eventual cost of the project.
Delta Government Commends Federal Intervention
The Delta State Commissioner for Works, Rural Roads and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, who represented Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, commended Umahi for personally inspecting the troubled road corridors.
Aniagwu said the condition of the Benin-Asaba route and other federal roads had become a major concern for motorists.
He said the minister’s visit demonstrated that the Federal Government was responding to public complaints.
The commissioner noted that the Delta State Government had also intervened in parts of the road corridor, including the construction of infrastructure around Chainage 64 and 65.
He expressed hope that contractors handling other sections would accelerate work.
Umahi also commended Governor Oborevwori for paying compensation to property owners affected by the Second Niger Bridge access road project.
He said the action would help accelerate construction and reduce traffic pressure in Asaba.
Accountability Becomes Central to Road Intervention
The inspection ultimately brought together two major concerns facing Nigeria’s infrastructure sector: the urgent need to repair failed roads and the need to hold contractors accountable for public projects.
The 14-day ultimatum issued to CCECC and the arrest order against Hartland’s managing director underline the government’s growing frustration with delays, poor workmanship and abandoned projects.
For motorists, however, the immediate concern remains the condition of the roads.
The Federal Government’s interventions will now be judged by how quickly failed sections are repaired, how effectively contractors are held accountable and whether the strategic Asaba-Benin-Onitsha transport corridor becomes safer and more reliable.
