The Edo State Government has revoked the contract for the failed section of the Benin-Abraka Road at Ikpe Waterside in Orhionmwon Local Government Area and approved its re-award to a competent contractor.
Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa disclosed the decision on Wednesday during a meeting with Okaigheles, youth leaders and residents of Ikpe Waterside and neighbouring communities who protested the deplorable condition of the road.
Idahosa said Governor Monday Okpebholo had approved the revocation after the contractor handling the Ikpe Waterside section failed to deliver the project to the required standard.
According to him, the Benin-Abraka Road was divided into two sections and awarded to two contractors before the Okpebholo administration assumed office on November 12, 2024.
While one contractor had completed about 76 per cent of its assigned section, Idahosa said the contractor responsible for the Ikpe Waterside stretch failed to meet the required standards.
“Governor Monday Okpebholo has approved that this road contract be revoked and re-awarded to a competent contractor,” Idahosa said.
The Deputy Governor said the government would not wait for the completion of the procurement process before taking action on the worst sections of the road.
He disclosed that palliative works would commence on the most critical portions, while the local government would be directed to carry out emergency repairs to ease the hardship faced by motorists.
Idahosa also pledged to personally monitor the rehabilitation of the road to ensure that the project is executed to the required standard.
He said the administration would address infrastructure deficiencies inherited across Edo’s 18 local government areas and three senatorial districts.
The government’s assurances followed protests by residents, who had erected barricades on the road over its deteriorating condition. Following the meeting with the Deputy Governor, the protesters voluntarily dismantled the barricades, allowing motorists to resume movement.
Beyond the road crisis, the meeting also brought to the fore concerns over alleged takeover of ancestral farmlands and their subsequent allocation to agricultural investors.
Idahosa assured the communities that the complaints would be examined by the state government.
Earlier, spokesperson for the protesting communities, David Ehiarinmwian, said their grievances extended beyond the failed road project.
He appealed to oil and agricultural companies operating in the area to increase their contributions to the development of host communities through stronger corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Ehiarinmwian also called for a review of the buffer-zone policy governing the allocation of land to agricultural investors, arguing that the policy had affected local farmers’ access to ancestral farmlands and traditional farming activities.
The government’s decision to revoke the failed contract and commence emergency intervention signals a fresh push to restore movement along the troubled Ikpe Waterside stretch while preparations continue for the project’s re-award.
