Senator Adams Oshiomhole has criticized the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for prioritizing the construction of new federal roads while many existing highways remain in a deplorable condition.
Speaking during a Senate session, Oshiomhole argued that the ministry should focus on rehabilitating critical road networks before embarking on new projects. He questioned the recent approval of 20 new roads despite the poor state of several major highways linking Edo and Delta states.
“Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, needs to be guided. He proposes building new roads when existing ones are in bad shape. Between Benin and Delta, Benin and Okene, the roads are so bad, yet 20 new roads were approved recently,” the senator said.
Oshiomhole lamented the condition of key federal roads connecting Benin to Warri, Asaba, Auchi, and Okene, saying they have become difficult for motorists to use.
He further alleged that the section of the federal highway bordering Edo and Delta states had been consistently omitted from the national budget over the past three years despite repeated appeals by the Senate.
The former Edo State governor also claimed that ongoing intervention on part of the road was made possible only after President Bola Tinubu directed that the tax credit scheme be used to fund the project, rather than through regular budgetary allocations.
Oshiomhole urged the Minister of Works to adopt a more balanced and national approach to the allocation of road infrastructure projects across the country, stressing that existing roads serving millions of Nigerians deserve urgent attention.
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