Tinubu orders NDDC to fix Warri-Sapele-Benin road

President Bola Tinubu has told the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to start fixing the Warri-Sapele-Benin section of the East-West Road in Delta State.

The NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, said this in a report published by The Guardian on Saturday. Ogbuku made this statement during a visit to the road, which has been in bad shape according to many complaints from users.

The newspaper did not say when the inspection happened.

Tinubu’s Order

Ogbuku explained that the order came after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, checked the Benin-Agbor and Benin-Warri routes.
"We are here because Mr President gave a directive to the NDDC to work on the road," he said.

He mentioned that the commission has received the project design from the Ministry of Works and is ready to start the reconstruction.

Ogbuku also said sorry to residents and drivers affected by the bad state of the road. He promised that the NDDC would do its best to fix the problem.

The Guardian reported that two contractors will take on the reconstruction work.

Sapele Cut Off

Monday Igbuya, Delta's representative on the NDDC board, said the terrible condition of the road has cut off Sapele from Warri and other areas in Delta State.

He asked the commission to help with other bad roads in the area, like the Eku Road, which has made it hard for residents and students to move around.

Umahi’s 14-Day Deadline

This news comes after Umahi gave CCECC a 14-day deadline to fix badly damaged parts of the Benin-Asaba Highway.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Umahi said this during an inspection of the road. He told the contractor to quickly fix damaged sections, especially around Ubulu-Okiti and Onicha-Ugbo.

His order followed reports of heavy traffic and long delays on the highway. Some drivers and passengers reportedly spent days stuck on the road due to the bad sections, showing how serious the transport issues are in the area.

Major Transport Route

The Warri-Sapele-Benin and Benin-Asaba routes are key for transporting people, farm produce, and goods between Edo, Delta, and other parts of southern Nigeria.

The NDDC's work is expected to make travel easier and lessen the struggles faced by commuters and businesses using these roads. The Guardian noted that the reconstruction of the Warri-Sapele-Benin section came after a presidential order to the NDDC.