The Presidency has blamed the deplorable condition of the Benin-Asaba Expressway on the failure of the contractor handling the road to act professionally.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday while reacting to concerns over the condition of the highway.
Dare acknowledged that the Benin-Asaba road had remained a difficult project that had stretched across the administrations of about three or four presidents.
However, he said the palliative works carried out by the contractor had not been professionally executed, contributing to the current state of the road.
According to him, the situation should be treated as an isolated case and should not be used to judge the performance of road projects across the country.
His comments came amid growing complaints from motorists and commuters over the poor condition of the highway, which serves as an important transport route between Edo and Delta states.
The condition of the road has also attracted attention from the Federal Government, with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, inspecting the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road in Edo State on Tuesday.
During the inspection, Umahi apologised to motorists and commuters over the current condition of the road.
The Benin-Asaba Expressway has remained a major concern for road users, with its deteriorating sections contributing to difficult journeys and renewed calls for urgent intervention.
The Presidency’s latest position places responsibility for the poor state of the road partly on the quality of work delivered by the contractor, while maintaining that the situation does not reflect the overall condition of federal road projects under the current administration.
