The Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, has been highly commended by FNATE for agreeing to assume the funding for the remaining portion of the 28.2-kilometer reconstruction of the Benin–Sapele–Warri Road, Section I (Benin–Imasabor) by the NNPC Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
This was in response to the Honourable Minister of Work’s inspection tour of ongoing projects in Edo State, His Excellency, Engr. (Sen.) David Umahi, CON, FNSE. On behalf of NNPC Limited, Messrs Levant Construction Limited is handling the reconstruction, which is expected to be finished in 24 months starting in September 2023. When the governor paid him a visit in Abuja on Thursday, February 27, he expressed his gratitude.
The Honorable Minister claims that the road is being expedited to ensure that it is in good condition prior to the full start of the rainy season because of the priority that Mr. President has put on it. He clarified that the lack of finance has been a significant barrier to the work’s advancement and added that the Ministry has come up with two solutions: either the contractor should focus on the alignment’s worst areas within the constraints of the cash available. The second option is to speak with Edo State’s governor about taking over the road’s finances. The governor’s visit, according to Engr. Umahi, is a favorable reaction to the request that the state government take over the funding where the federal government is halting.
The Minister stated that “There are two issues there, one is the funding issue. So what we have done, the worst sections of this route, we have to analyse it in two sections. One was to get Levant within the limit of the available funds to concentrate on the very bad sections, and then the second is we went to talk to the Governor of Edo State, and that is why he came. We inspected the site together with him and we begged him.”
The governor had to prioritize everything in the state because former governor Adams Oshiomole stopped building it, and Engr. Umahi sympathized with him for beginning anew. He praised his accomplishments in his first 100 days in office, the state’s sense of cohesion and solidarity, reverence for seniors, and most importantly, the contentment of the workers. According to him, improved roads will boost state revenue and economic activity along with GDP growth. He went on to say that “if your roads are good, it will increase the economic activities and revenue of that state, and the GDP will grow.”
The governor replied that he had come to express gratitude to the minister and to inform him of the value he has placed on his efforts to revitalize and standardize Nigeria’s road infrastructure to international standards. He also congratulated him for keying into the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President with an unparalleled passion.
As a gateway to the north, south, and other regions of Nigeria, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of the Lokoja-Benin Dualization project. In the presence of the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, H.E. Sen. Adams Oshiomole, the Minister of Works, traditional leaders, and numerous others, the Governor, acting as the President’s representative, recently started off the Okene-Auchi portion of the project in Kogi and Edo States.
