ASABA, Nigeria – The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to construction firm China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to carry out immediate emergency remedial repairs on critical failed sections of the Benin–Asaba Highway in Delta State to alleviate severe gridlock and hardship experienced by commuters.
The directive was handed down during an on-the-spot inspection of the Asaba axis of the Second Niger Bridge access road project on Friday, August 28, 2026, where the Minister assessed the deteriorating state of the federal highway around the Ubulu-Okiti and Onicha-Ugbo communities.
Okay News reports that the emergency intervention mandates CCECC to urgently resurface service lanes where asphalt had been scraped off and reconstruct failed dual carriageway stretches between Chainage 103 and 105, as well as Chainage 106 and 107, covering an aggregate distance of about four kilometres.
Umahi emphasized that the Federal Government will not tolerate delays on vital economic corridors that connect the South-South and South-East regions to the rest of the country, directing the contractor to mobilize adequate machinery and workforce immediately.
Reviewing ongoing works on the ₦148 billion (approximately $96.2 million) Second Niger Bridge access road project, the Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering durable concrete-paved road networks under the Renewed Hope infrastructure agenda.
He disclosed that 4.47 kilometres of dual carriageway construction has been completed on the access corridor, bringing total project milestone execution to 26.7 percent completion.
Speaking on behalf of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, commended the Federal Ministry of Works for its prompt responsiveness to the plight of road users along the interstate corridor.
Aniagwu noted that the prompt rehabilitation of the damaged bypasses will significantly ease traffic congestion, reduce travel time between Delta and Edo states, and stimulate regional trade across agricultural and commercial transport networks.
