THE Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ordered the immediate deployment of ministry officials and engineers from China Harbour Operations and Maintenance Company to restore and find a lasting solution to persistent flooding on the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road, after torrential rains disrupted traffic and forced President Bola Tinubu to cancel his visit to Yelwata, Benue State.
The President was expected in the town on Wednesday to sympathise with grieving residents following the killing of over 100 persons, but his convoy was halted by a flood that rendered the road impassable.
Umahi, who described the incident as “embarrassing,” blamed the private concessionaire in charge of the tolled road under the Highway Development and Management Initiative for failing to maintain the carriageway, despite collecting revenue.
“We have got information on the unfortunate flooding of a section of Keffi-Makurdi road, which is under HDMI, that is, a PPP with China Harbour. We know that the project has been completed and it is tolled, but unfortunately, yesterday there was a lot of debris that covered an existing culvert, and that led to flooding.
“We apologise very profusely to Mr President and Nigerians for the embarrassment this unfortunate incident caused. The Keffi-Makurdi road is a Public-Private Partnership with China Harbour under the HDMI initiative. Though completed and tolled, flooding occurred due to debris blocking the culvert.”
“In the midst of the rain, we deployed our officials and the concessionaire’s personnel who evacuated the debris, allowing floodwaters to drain. That section of the road has now been reinstated”, he said in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Orji Uchenna on Friday.
The minister further directed the company to investigate the cause of the flooding and implement a permanent fix to prevent future disruptions, stressing that such lapses would no longer be tolerated on federal roads maintained by private operators.
Umahi also commended Tinubu’s fatherly concern and leadership over the Benue killings, describing his attempted visit as “a powerful gesture that resonated with the people.”
“We also commend Mr President very highly for his fatherly role in Benue State. His visit there has made a lot of impact in the lives of the people and everyone living in that place,” he said. “With God on his side, Benue people shall see sustainable peace and progress.”
Tinubu, in his remarks during his visit to the state, acknowledged the disruption. “I aborted my visit to Yelwata town because of the rain, flood and bad roads,” he said. “But we will do something for the recreation of that environment.”
Meanwhile, the minister used the opportunity to push for infrastructure financing partnerships, appealing to Citibank Nigeria Ltd to support key federal road projects under the Renewed Hope Legacy Initiative.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the bank’s Managing Director/CEO, Nneka Enwereji, Umahi said, “We are happy that Citibank is considering partnering with us on the Renewed Hope Legacy Projects. These critical road infrastructures are central to President Tinubu’s vision for national development, and your support will go a long way.”
The Citibank chief pledged support, praising the administration’s bold reforms and commitment to infrastructure.
“We are very impressed with the big strides your administration is making. We are here to understand the specifics and explore how we can invest in projects that would make a positive impact on the country”, Enwereji said.