Sponsor of the motion worried that the high rate of accidents and vehicular breakdowns on the Benin-Abraka Road has mostly made it difficult to commuters traveling to and fro South-South, South East to the North and vice versa
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to expand the Benin – Abraka Road considering its economic importance to the country.
The call was contained in a motion sponsored by Rep. Billy Osawuru on Tuesday, wherein he expressed worry over the dilapidated condition of the road, which has continued to cause persistent vehicular traffic and increased the number of hours commuters spend to get to their respective destinations.
Rep. Osawuru noted that the Benin – Abraka Road is a federal road that links Benin, the Edo State Capital to Abraka, a big commercial oil-rich of Delta State.
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He also noted that “the Benin-Abraka road started from the King’s Square (Ring Road) through communities of the Premier Oredo Local Government Area and other oil and gas drilling communities like, the Obenkobi Oil Field operated by SEPLAT Oil Limited, Egboko, Evborhion, and Ugbugo drilled or operated by summit Oil Limited and others under Ikpoba- Okha and Orhionmwon Local Government Areas has constructed years ago and can no longer accommodate the volume of traffic.
The lawmaker also informed that “Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOPADEC) and Edo State Government have been undertaking remedial work on the road with no desired result thereby depriving the communities of some level of development to boost their commercial activities.
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He worried that “the high rate of accidents and vehicular breakdowns on the road has mostly made it difficult and most of the time impassable to commuters traveling to and fro South-South, South East to the North and vice versa; Concerned that some miscreants and hoodlums/kidnappers have recently taken advantage of the poor state of the road to carry out nefarious acts on the commuters and business owners, thus, worsening the situation.
The motion was consequently referred to the House Committee on FERMA, when constituted, for further legislative action.
