Dafinone: Quiet Engagement, Collective Action Deliver Benin-Sapele-Effurun Road Intervention

Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ede Dafinone, has said that sustained and constructive engagement with relevant government authorities has contributed to the commencement of emergency rehabilitation of failed sections of the Benin-Sapele-Effurun Expressway.

Dafinone stated this in a statement following the flag-off of the emergency intervention at the Amukpe Roundabout, Sapele, where representatives of the Delta State Government, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other stakeholders gathered for the commencement of work on the critical road corridor.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the management of the NDDC, led by its Chairman, Chiedu Ebie, and Managing Director/CEO, Samuel Ogbuku, as well as the Delta State Government, for responding to the concerns of residents and road users over the deplorable condition of the highway.

According to him, the intervention would help ease the difficulties faced by motorists, commuters, businesses and communities along the Benin-Sapele-Effurun corridor.

The senator said the development was evidence that sustained engagement with the Federal Government, its agencies and the executive arm of government could produce tangible results.

Dafinone explained that he deliberately chose the path of “critical and constructive engagement,” stressing that his primary responsibility as a representative of the people was to ensure that problems affecting his constituents were addressed.

He said not every intervention needed to be turned into a public spectacle, adding that “quiet, persistent and purposeful engagement” could sometimes produce better results than media campaigns, particularly when different levels of government were working toward a common objective.

The senator recalled that the deteriorating condition of the Benin-Sapele-Effurun road had attracted considerable public and media attention in recent weeks, noting that the NDDC’s intervention demonstrated the agency’s capacity to respond swiftly to critical infrastructure challenges in the Niger Delta.

He disclosed that the NDDC team inspected the affected portions of the road from Benin through Sapele to Effurun on Tuesday and returned by Friday to flag off the rehabilitation.

Dafinone said the speed of the response demonstrated what could be achieved when government agencies, political leaders and representatives of the people worked together.

He noted that although the intervention was coming at this time, he had been engaging relevant authorities, applying pressure and pushing for concrete action on the road.

“Results, not rhetoric, should define our efforts, and today, those results are speaking for themselves,” he said.

The senator also commended the Delta State Government for lending its voice to the intervention, describing the effort as a collective push aimed at achieving meaningful results for the people.

He, however, noted that the intervention, which covers about 15 kilometres of some of the worst portions of the Ajomata/Ibada–Elume–Amukpe–Oghara axis, did not represent the end of the struggle for better federal roads in Delta Central.

Dafinone said there were still several failed sections of federal roads across the senatorial district, promising to continue engaging the relevant authorities until more interventions were secured.

He expressed satisfaction that the rehabilitation was being approached comprehensively, with contractors commencing work from both ends of the corridor to ensure that attention was given to the affected sections.

According to him, his concern was not about who received credit for the intervention but about ensuring that the road was fixed and residents obtained the needed relief.

He expressed optimism that the rehabilitation would be completed promptly, saying its completion would improve connectivity and significantly reduce the hardship currently experienced by road users and communities along the corridor.