Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ede Dafinone, has said sustained engagement with the Federal Government and relevant agencies is beginning to yield tangible results with the emergency intervention and rehabilitation of failed sections of the Benin-Sapele-Effurun Expressway.
Dafinone stated this following the flag-off of the emergency intervention at Amukpe Roundabout, Sapele, where representatives of the Delta State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other stakeholders gathered to commence work on the critical road corridor.
The intervention, which targets about 15 kilometres of the worst-affected sections along the Ajomata/Ibada–Elume–Amukpe–Oghara axis, is expected to provide relief to motorists, commuters, businesses and communities that have endured the deteriorating condition of the road.
Dafinone commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the NDDC management and the Delta State Government for responding to the concerns raised over the condition of the road.
He particularly praised the NDDC Chairman, Chiedu Ebie, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Ogbuku, and other officials involved in the intervention.
According to him, the development demonstrates the value of sustained engagement between political representatives, government agencies and the executive arm of government.
“This is clear evidence that our sustained engagement with the Federal Government, its agencies and the executive arm of government is yielding tangible results,” Dafinone said.
The Senator said he deliberately chose a path of “critical and constructive engagement”, arguing that the primary responsibility of elected representatives was to secure results for their constituents rather than seek publicity.
“As your Senator and representative of our people, we deliberately chose the path of critical and constructive engagement because our primary responsibility is to get things done,” he said.
Dafinone added that not every government intervention needed to become a public spectacle, stressing that quiet and persistent engagement could sometimes achieve more than extensive media campaigns.
“Sometimes, quiet, persistent, and purposeful engagement produces better results than media engagement, especially when we are one government,” he said.
The Senator recalled that the deplorable state of the Benin-Sapele-Effurun road had attracted significant public and media attention in recent weeks, noting that the NDDC had responded swiftly after inspecting the affected sections.
According to him, the NDDC team inspected the road from Benin through Sapele to Effurun on Tuesday and returned by Friday to flag off the rehabilitation.
He described the speed of the response as commendable and said it demonstrated what could be achieved when government agencies, political leaders and representatives of the people worked together.
“That speed of response is commendable and demonstrates what can be achieved when government agencies, political leaders and representatives of the people work together,” Dafinone said.
While acknowledging the commencement of the rehabilitation, Dafinone said the intervention did not represent the end of the campaign for improved federal roads across Delta Central.
He noted that there were still several failed sections of federal roads in the senatorial district that required urgent attention.
“Our goals may not have been met, but I am particularly pleased that the intervention which covers 15km of the worst portions of Ajomata/Ibada–Elume–Amupke–Oghara is being targeted; our people need more,” he said.
The lawmaker disclosed that he had continued to engage relevant authorities and push for concrete action on the road, insisting that outcomes rather than rhetoric should determine the effectiveness of political representation.
“Though this is coming now, I have been working—engaging the relevant authorities, applying pressure and pushing for concrete action. I believe results, not rhetoric, should define our efforts, and today, those results are speaking for themselves,” he said.
Dafinone also commended the Delta State Government for supporting the intervention and contributing its voice to efforts aimed at securing the rehabilitation of the road.
He described the development as a collective effort that should take precedence over individual claims to credit.
“This has become a collective push, and that is the way to achieve meaningful results for our people,” he said.
He further noted that the rehabilitation was being approached from both ends of the affected corridor, a strategy he said would help ensure that attention was not concentrated on one section while other failed portions were left unattended.
“My concern is not about who takes the credit; my concern is that the road is fixed and our people get relief,” Dafinone said.
The Senator expressed hope that the rehabilitation would be completed promptly, saying the ultimate objective was to restore the road and improve connectivity for residents, commuters, businesses and communities along the Benin-Sapele-Effurun corridor.
