The Federal Government has threatened to terminate the concession agreement for the Benin–Asaba road project over alleged incompetence and the concessionaire’s slow pace of work.
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed this during an inspection of the Benin–Agbor road bypass in Benin City, Edo State, on the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
The inspection followed a recent protest by Edo youths over what they described as the poor handling of the project, which they said had subjected road users to untold hardship.
Umahi, who was accompanied by the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and some members of the National Assembly, expressed dissatisfaction with the level and quality of work executed by the concessionaire.
The minister warned that the Federal Government could be forced to revoke the concession and re-award the project to a more competent company if there was no immediate improvement.
“We may have no option but to revoke the contract and re-award it to a more competent company if there is no immediate improvement,” Umahi said.
He said the government was concerned about the slow pace of construction and the quality of work being delivered, stressing the need for the concessionaire to improve its performance urgently.
The minister’s position is expected to heighten pressure on the company handling the project to accelerate construction and address concerns raised by road users and residents of the affected communities.
