The 2027 presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has criticised the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government’s road infrastructure policy, urging it to suspend the construction of new roads and prioritise the rehabilitation of existing highways across the country.

Obi argued that the country’s scarce resources should be channelled towards fixing strategic roads that have fallen into disrepair rather than embarking on new construction and dualisation projects that, in his view, offer limited immediate benefits.

In an X post titled “My Stance on Road Development”, on Monday, the 2023 presidential candidate of the troubled Labour Party said Nigeria’s existing road network requires urgent reconstruction and maintenance before new projects are initiated.

According to him, the Asaba–Benin Road remains one of Nigeria’s most strategic transport corridors, serving as a major route linking travellers and businesses from Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Rivers, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, Enugu and parts of Benue and Kogi states to Lagos.

He lamented that substantial sections of the highway have deteriorated badly, causing persistent traffic gridlock, increasing transportation costs and imposing severe hardship on commuters, businesses and transport operators.

Obi maintained that the deplorable condition of the Asaba–Benin Road is not an isolated case but reflects the reality on many of Nigeria’s busiest federal highways.

He argued that repairing and maintaining existing roads would have a greater impact on the economy than announcing new infrastructure projects while critical highways remain impassable.

“The Nigerian people need functional and motorable roads, not merely projects that attract public attention,” Obi said.

He further contended that efforts aimed at achieving political mileage through new infrastructure announcements should not take precedence over addressing the poor condition of existing national road networks.

The former Anambra State governor called on the Federal Government to make the rehabilitation and maintenance of strategic highways its immediate priority, insisting that doing so would ease the movement of people and goods, improve economic activity and deliver more tangible benefits to Nigerians than embarking on fresh road projects. (The Sun)

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