Oshiomhole Accuses Umahi of Neglecting Edo Roads, Calls for Balanced Federal Road Projects

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, has criticised the Minister of Works, David Umahi, accusing him of prioritising the construction of new roads while neglecting existing federal highways that have deteriorated across parts of Edo State.

Speaking during Wednesday’s Senate plenary, Oshiomhole said several key road corridors linking Edo to neighbouring Delta State and other parts of the country remain in deplorable condition despite repeated appeals for intervention.

According to the former Edo State governor, the Ministry of Works has continued to approve new road projects while failing to rehabilitate critical existing routes that are vital to commuters and economic activities.

“The Federal Minister of Works needs to be guided because whereas we have all these old roads that are in bad shape, he proposes the construction of new roads when existing roads are not there,” Oshiomhole said.

He noted that about 20 new road projects were recently approved, questioning why major federal roads connecting Benin City to Warri, Asaba, Auchi, and Okene have continued to receive little attention.

Oshiomhole alleged that the pattern of road allocation reflects an imbalance in project distribution.

“Between Edo and the other, there is manifest bias by the Minister of Works.

“You cannot go from Benin to Warri, Asaba, Auchi and Okene. What have we done wrong?” he asked.

The senator acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s intervention through the approval of tax credit arrangements for parts of the affected road network but argued that the Ministry of Works has consistently failed to include the remaining sections in successive national budgets.

He recalled that the Senate had previously passed a motion urging the minister to address the deteriorating roads but claimed the appeal had not yielded meaningful action.

“All the budget over the past three years, in spite of the first motion under your leadership as Senate President that was moved to draw his attention, the Minister of Works has failed deliberately to include that portion between Delta in the national budget,” he said.

Oshiomhole urged the Senate leadership to engage the minister and ensure that federal road projects are distributed fairly across the country.

“I plead with you to urge him to be more balanced and have a national overview of his response,” he added.

The remarks add to ongoing concerns over the condition of several federal highways across Nigeria and the prioritisation of infrastructure projects under the Federal Ministry of Works.