Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, on Friday undertook a joint inspection of federal roads across Edo Central and Edo South, condemning the poor state of infrastructure and pledging urgent interventions to ease the hardship of commuters.

The delegation visited Ujuelen, the Ekpoma stretch of the Benin–Auchi–Lokoja Expressway, and Egbele in Uromi, where both leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of the highways.

In a significant move, Umahi formally handed over the completion of one carriageway from Ewu to Agbor to the Edo State Government, explaining that while the design remains under the Federal Ministry of Works, execution will be handled by the state.

“From Benin to Ekpoma alone is 53km. CBC has covered 2km without any payment made, which is commendable. However, CCECC must sit up. By Monday, if I do not see efficiency on at least two sections, their contracts will be terminated,” Umahi warned.

The Minister, who personally drove with Governor Okpebholo through the Benin–Ekpoma axis, insisted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to building durable roads lasting “50 to 100 years” as against short-lived projects of the past.

He praised BUA International for the quality of its handling of the Ekpoma section, urging the company to accelerate completion of its first 10km by October or risk termination.

He further cautioned federal directors and controllers to monitor projects directly, warning that any discovered lapses would attract immediate redeployment to Abuja.

Governor Okpebholo, while thanking President Tinubu for prioritising Edo roads, declared that Edo people had already embraced the ruling APC and would deliver bloc votes to the president in 2027.

“What our administration is doing is visible. In the past, signs read: ‘Please bear with us, this is a federal road.’ But Edo people use these roads, and we cannot abandon them. President Tinubu has changed the narrative, and the people are grateful,” he stated.

Also present was the Director of Federal Highways (Construction and Rehabilitation), Engr. Clement Ogbuagu, who explained that previous contractors had been sacked for poor performance before the projects were re-awarded under a tax credit scheme.

Representatives of BUA International, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-South), Gift Johnbull, and APC State Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, all lauded the progress of work and assured of the people’s support for the Tinubu administration.

Umahi and Okpebholo also inspected parts of the Benin–Asaba Expressway, recently handed over to a concession company, as well as the ongoing construction of the Ramat Park flyover in Benin City, where the Minister described the project as a landmark infrastructural feat.