Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, has accused the Minister of Works, David Umahi, of neglecting critical federal roads in Edo and Delta States while approving new road projects across the country.
Oshiomhole raised the issue during plenary in the Senate, where he appealed to lawmakers to prevail on the minister to adopt what he described as a more balanced and national approach to federal road infrastructure development.
According to the former Edo State governor, several major highways linking Edo and neighbouring states have deteriorated significantly, causing hardship for commuters and slowing economic activities.
He questioned why new federal road projects were being approved when many existing highways remain in deplorable condition despite repeated appeals for rehabilitation.
Oshiomhole stated that motorists travelling from Benin to Warri, Benin to Asaba, Benin to Auchi, and Auchi to Okene continue to face severe difficulties because of the poor condition of the roads.
He argued that the current state of the highways has increased travel time, damaged vehicles and created unnecessary hardship for residents, businesses and commercial transport operators.
The senator expressed concern that the Federal Ministry of Works had continued to prioritise fresh road approvals while long-neglected federal highways in Edo and Delta remained without adequate budgetary attention.
He alleged that there appeared to be a pattern of neglect affecting road infrastructure in both states, describing the situation as a "manifest bias" in the allocation of federal road projects.
According to Oshiomhole, about twenty new road projects received approval only weeks earlier despite the worsening condition of strategic highways already serving millions of Nigerians.
He further claimed that sections of the affected roads only attracted attention after President Bola Tinubu reportedly approved the use of tax credit arrangements to support rehabilitation works.
The senator maintained that without the President's intervention, several of the critical road sections would have remained excluded from recent federal budget allocations.
Oshiomhole urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to engage directly with the Minister of Works and encourage a more equitable distribution of infrastructure projects nationwide.
He stressed that federal road development should reflect national priorities rather than leaving strategic economic corridors in prolonged states of disrepair.
The comments add another chapter to previous disagreements between Oshiomhole and Umahi over road infrastructure funding and project implementation during legislative oversight sessions earlier this year.
Analysts note that the condition of major highways connecting Edo and Delta remains a recurring concern because the roads serve as vital transport routes linking southern and central parts of the country.
The debate also highlights broader concerns about balancing new infrastructure expansion with the rehabilitation of aging federal roads that continue to carry heavy traffic volumes across Nigeria.
While the Ministry of Works has consistently defended its nationwide infrastructure programme and ongoing legacy road projects, Oshiomhole insists that greater attention should be given to neglected federal highways that directly affect millions of road users.
The senator expressed hope that Senate intervention would encourage a fairer allocation of resources and accelerate the rehabilitation of key federal roads connecting Edo, Delta and neighbouring states.