Senator Adams Oshiomhole has criticised the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, over what he described as an imbalance in the allocation of road projects, urging him to prioritise the rehabilitation of existing roads before embarking on new constructions.
Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North Senatorial District, made the remarks during Wednesday’s Senate session, where he raised concerns about the poor state of road infrastructure linking Edo State with major cities in Delta State.
The former Edo State governor accused the ministry of neglecting key routes while approving new road projects elsewhere, describing the approach as unfair and lacking a national outlook.
“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 questioned why major routes connecting Benin City to Warri, Asaba, Auchi and Okene had remained in poor condition despite repeated appeals for intervention.
“Three weeks ago, I understood 20 new roads were approved. Yet, between Edo and the other states, there is manifest bias by the Minister of Works,” he said.
Oshiomhole said the situation had persisted despite previous Senate interventions, adding that the inclusion of some road projects was only possible because of President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the use of tax credits for infrastructure development.
“It is Mr President’s goodwill that he directed that they should use tax credit to deal with part of this section,” he added.
The senator appealed to the Senate leadership to engage the minister and ensure that future budget allocations reflect a more balanced approach to road development across the country.
“I plead with you to urge him to be more balanced and have a national overview of his response,” Oshiomhole said.
