Open Letter to Engr. David Umahi, Minister of Works: Urgent Action Needed on the Agbor–Uromi Federal Highway

Dear Hon. Minister,

I write to draw your urgent attention to the deplorable condition of the Agbor/Igbanke/Ekpon/Ebelle/Igueben/Ugbegun/Uromi Road — a major federal highway that connects the Benin-Asaba expressway to Esanland in Edo State.

Since 2014, this strategic road has remained in a state of severe disrepair. Today, it is nearly impossible to travel from the Niger Delta into Esanland via the Agbor–Uromi axis. What was once a straightforward two-hour journey from cities like Warri, Sapele, or Ughelli to Esanland has now become a convoluted five-hour ordeal.

Current Travel Realities.

If you’re traveling from the Niger Delta towns via Agbor, you can no longer drive straight to Uromi or Ewohimi by the usual Agbor/Uromi road.

Instead, you must detour:

Eastward: Turn right onto the Benin-Asaba Road toward Asaba, then left at Onicha-Ugbo to access Ewohimi, Ewatto, Ubiaja, and eventually Uromi.

Westward: Turn left as though heading to Benin City, then right toward Oza village to reach Igbanke, Ekpon, and Ebelle to either Uromi or Ewohimi.

Now that the Oza/Igbanke/Ekpon axis has also deteriorated, many are forced to continue on the Benin/Asaba highway, turning right to Ugoneki village toward Ujiogba and navigating through Ogwa, Ebelle, Ewossa, Ekpon to Ewohimi, or alternatively through Igueben and Ugbegun to finally reach Uromi.

These detours are not only time-consuming, but they are dangerous. The road conditions are appalling, and the time and economic cost are rising sharply for residents, commuters, and businesses.

Also, driving from Benin City to Esanland is a challenge, no matter the route. The eastern axis through Agbor/Igbanke/Ekpon/Ebelle or Agbor/Igbanke/Ekpon/Ewohimi is just as deplorable as the western axis through Iruekpen and Ekpoma. The northern route from Abuja/Lokoja via Ewu offers no relief either.

Whichever direction you approach from, Esanland has been virtually cut off from the rest of the country for over twelve years. This level of neglect is unsustainable.

Security Implications.

Travel routes into and out of Esanland are now a maze of danger. Because the major connections are now impassable, travellers are forced into convoluted and dangerous alternatives.

This is no longer merely a matter of poor infrastructure; it is a security crisis. The forced detours through remote, unmonitored areas have rendered travellers vulnerable to criminal attacks.

I speak from personal experience. While travelling with family members from Ewohimi via Onicha-Ugbo to connect Benin/Asaba road to Benin City, a few kilometres from Onicha-Ugbo, we narrowly escaped a kidnapping and armed robbery attempt. Our vehicle was riddled with bullets. It was a harrowing encounter, and by sheer luck, we survived.

However, many others have not been as fortunate. These routes have become hotspots for ambushes, placing the lives of law-abiding Nigerian traders, students, families, and transport workers at daily risk.

A Call to Action

As someone who drives these roads regularly, I can attest firsthand to the suffering of our people. I write this not only as a concerned citizen but on behalf of the men and women of Esanland and all those who depend on this vital link.

We respectfully appeal to you, Engr. David Umahi and President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to prioritise the rehabilitation and reconstruction of this critical highway, the Agbor/Uromi road. Restoring this strategic route is not only a matter of infrastructure, but a matter of national security, economic survival, human dignity, regional connectivity, and national unity.

The people of Esanland and the entire Niger Delta communities deserve safe, reliable, and efficient road networks. We cannot continue to risk lives and livelihoods for so long because of government inaction.

Please act now. Esanland deserves better, and the stakes are too high for further delay.

Sincerely,

Barr Alex Ehi Aidaghese 

Ewohimi, Edo State, Nigeria

June 09, 2025