The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has asked the concessionaire handling the Benin-Asaba road to immediately write to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works to enable it to terminate their contract on account of what he observed as poor handling of the road.

The minister also ordered the concessionaire to urgently remove all the blockages on the Benin-Asaba road to allow free flow of traffic.

Umahi made the appeal and issued the directive on Wednesday in Benin at a stakeholders’ engagement in Government House, Benin.

He said, “We are therefore pleading with you to give us written approval to proceed in this manner, we believe this is the way forward.

“Therefore, our directive going forward is that you should be removed from the site of this project, within the limits of our rights. You have added no value to the project,” he said.

He stressed that the Federal Ministry of Works should write to the independent engineer to request measurements of all the works that have been carried out, excluding what we describe as negative work.

“When you remove asphalt contrary to the contract and contrary to the specifications, that is negative work.

“It will not be recognised as part of the value of work done. In fact, the cost of rectifying the damage must also be established.

“Now, we want to plead with you, as the clients acting in the interest of the public, we do not believe that you currently have the capacity to reinstate the road.

“We have not stopped you from working, but if you continue doing what you are currently doing, we are not convinced that you will be able to avert the potential for public disorder in that area,” he added.

The minister, while suggesting ways to remedy the current hardship caused by the concessionaire, directed that the affected sections should then be reconstructed under the supervision of the independent engineer.

He also directed that the concessionaire to provide a technical design for proper stormwater canalisation, adding that this is very important.

He further warned that it should restore all the asphalt, redirect any water that has been channelled onto the carriageway, and restore free flow of traffic along the carriageway.

The minister said BAECC lacked the technical capacity and competent manpower required to execute and complete the project within the stipulated timeframe and contractual specifications.

“I want the public to know that by the concession agreement, we played into the hands of the concessionaire,” Umahi said.

The minister directed that the concessionaire be removed from the project site within the limits of the government’s rights under the agreement.

“Therefore, our directive going forward is that you should be removed from the site of this project, within the limits of our rights. You have added no value to the project,” he said.

Umahi said the ministry would write to the Independent Engineer to obtain measurements of all work executed, excluding what he described as “negative work”.

He clarified that the ministry had not stopped BAECC from working, but said allowing the concessionaire to continue under the current circumstances could worsen the situation and create the potential for public disorder.

The minister said BAECC could alternatively allow the government to engage a competent contractor to complete the project, after which the concessionaire could be given the right of first refusal to re-toll the road and recoup its investment.

Also speaking, the Director of Highway Planning, Ministry of Works and Technical Lead, Project Delivery Team for the HDMI Project, Mr Ebere Izunobi, attributed some of the project’s challenges to BAECC’s failure to comply with instructions from supervising officials.

Izunobi also alleged that the concessionaire used unqualified staff and engineers and unsuitable materials in executing the project, contributing to the poor quality of work.

Sen. Allwell Onyesoh, a member of the Senate Committee on Works, said those responsible for introducing the concession arrangement to the country had not served Nigeria well.

“The concessionaires and whoever pushed for this concessionaire did not mean well for Nigeria, and this is a big lesson about concessionaires in Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, not every concessionaire possesses the capacity required to execute projects of such magnitude.

Earlier, the BAECC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Samuel Daramola, appealed to the ministry to allow the company to continue with the project.

Daramola said the company had secured funds and upgraded its equipment and technical personnel, assuring that it could complete the project as scheduled.

“We don’t want to put money in the drain. We have upgraded our technical staff and we want the ministry to allow us to continue the project,” he said.

The Head of Legal and Compliance, BAECC, Mr Peterson Fabian, urged stakeholders to allow more time for further consultations on possible solutions.

“Every stakeholder here, do allow us to have more time to engage. I believe that we will have more pathways forward to further collaborate,” Fabian said.

Gov. Monday Okpebholo described the state of the Benin-Asaba road as a waste of resources, given the period already spent on the project.

“What we are seeing now is not what I should be seeing at this point after 16 months. Nothing has been done. To me, it is a total waste of resources,” Okpebholo said.

He urged the Minister of Works to take necessary action and find lasting solutions to the condition of the highway to ease the hardship experienced by motorists and other road users.