The Federal Government says it will not allow the continued decay of the Benin–Asaba Road to persist, with the Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, warning that it will invoke “the law of necessity” if the concessionaire fails to act.
Speaking on Friday, August 28, 2026, during an inspection of Phase 2B of the Second Niger Bridge at the Nkwerre–Ezunaka section of the Onitsha–Enugu Expressway, Umahi said the Tinubu administration inherited a concession agreement with Africa Plus Partners Ltd from the previous government.
“Our hands are tied by the concession agreement that was entered before this administration. But overriding public interest is such that we are watching them, and if this suffering continues, we’ll invoke the law of necessity for overriding public interest,” Umahi stated.
FG Notifies Concessionaire, Offers Contractor Support
The Minister disclosed that the Ministry of Works has already notified the concessionaire of its default and is exploring legal options.
To accelerate repairs, he said the Federal Government assembled about 7 contractors and offered to let them intervene on the road at no cost to the concessionaire.
“They say, ‘No, we will fix it.’ So if we had said no, then they will now go and start earning money from federation account, which has been our fear. So we are watching them. We’ve left them. Let them fix the road,” he explained.
Umahi also dismissed suggestions that the poor state of the Benin-Asaba route reflects marginalisation of the Southeast. He pointed to ongoing interventions along the Lagos–Southeast corridor under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He cited the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the rehabilitation of the 48-kilometre section toward Ore, where the President directed the use of concrete pavement due to the terrain.
According to the Minister, one carriageway of that 48km stretch has been completed and work is progressing on the second. Solar lighting and tree planting have also been added to the project.
2027 Politics: Umahi Backs Tinubu
Before addressing the road, Umahi expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 election, saying infrastructure investments and renewed engagement with the Southeast were building support.
“President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, is going to win the 2027 election. He’s going to win,” Umahi said, noting the performance of progressive candidates in Anambra State’s recent off-cycle elections as proof of growing acceptance.
The Benin–Asaba Road is a critical artery linking the South-South to the Southeast and has been a source of frustration for commuters and haulage drivers for years due to potholes and gridlock
