Nigerian senate summons Umahi over poor state of old Oyo-Ogbomoso road

The Senate has summoned the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, to appear before it to explain the abandonment of a portion of the Ogbomoso-Oyo Road by the contractor assigned to handle it.

This decision, made on Wednesday, followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (APC-Oyo North), who expressed concern over the worsening state of the road.

The lawmaker noted that the road, a vital link between the South and the North, has become a source of severe hardship for travellers.

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“Senate notes that in the last month, the people of Ogbomoso land have been plunged into an unprecedented crisis, occasioned by a tragic petrol tanker accident that occurred on the road, which resulted in traffic gridlock, rendered some inhabitants of the area homeless, paralysed economic activities as well as claimed some innocent lives,” he said.

“Further worried that this road, which is less than 500 meters long, has become a deathtrap, responsible for numerous accidents in recent times, as over ten accidents have occurred within just a few days, leading to loss of lives, injuries, and devastating impacts on businesses, whereby perishable goods from the north have been ruined, and shipments from ports and companies, amounting to millions of naira, left stranded.”

The upper chamber asked Senator Barinada Mpigi,  (PDP, Rivers South-East) led Committee on Works to immediately summon the Minister to unravel the circumstances that led to the abandonment of the said project.

Lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, direct the relevant authorities to complete the rehabilitation of the old Ogbomoso-Oyo Road to forestall further negative occurrences on the road.

Meanwhile, Umahi announced that the first section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is set to be completed by May 29, 2025, after which it will be tolled for 5 to 10 years to recover construction costs.

The construction of this first phase, which stretches 47.7 km within Lagos State, starting from Ahmadu Bello Way, commenced in March 2024 by Hitech Construction Company Limited.

Umahi made this disclosure during a recent event televised by Channels Television.

“The first section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is going to be completed by May 29th and and we are going to toll it and we’re going to get back our money within 5 to 10 years,” Umahi said.

The Works Minister further disclosed that in addition to tolling, the Federal Government is planning to implement additional initiatives, including developing land along the corridor for tourism, factories, and housing, as part of efforts to further enhance returns on the project.

Umahi explained that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is designed to relieve the strain on Apapa Wharf, which has long faced challenges due to its shallow berths that limit cargo handling capacity. These constraints, he noted, have necessitated the costly process of transloading, where goods are shifted between vessels, resulting in significant daily financial losses for Nigeria.

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He also emphasized the importance of the seven axle road under construction, which will facilitate the seamless transportation of goods from the Dangote Refinery, Fertilizer Plant, and other major industries within the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

This critical infrastructure will connect to the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, ensuring smoother logistics and supply chains across key regions, including the North, South-West, South-South, and South-East.

In addition, the project is set to tap into the renewable energy potential along the coastal corridor, with plans to harness wind energy for future development.

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