“Leadership is remembered not only by the offices held, but by the issues courageously championed in the public interest.”
Long before construction equipment returned to sections of the Benin–Asaba–Onitsha Expressway, and years before the renewed public outcry over the painfully slow pace of rehabilitation works, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, OON, had raised the alarm on the floor of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, demanding urgent Federal Government intervention on one of the nation’s most strategic highways.
It was during the 9th House of Representatives, when Elumelu served as Minority Leader and represented the people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, that he moved a motion drawing national attention to the deplorable condition of the Benin–Warri and Benin–Asaba–Onitsha highways.
The motion, which was unanimously adopted by the House under the leadership of the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, now Chief of Staff to the President, remains one of the notable legislative interventions on federal infrastructure during that Assembly.
Speaking before his colleagues, Elumelu reminded the House that the Benin–Warri and Benin–Asaba–Onitsha highways are critical gateways connecting the South-South and South-East to the rest of Nigeria and that beyond their strategic importance for regional integration, the roads serve as major corridors for the movement of people, agricultural produce, petroleum products and commercial goods that sustain economic activities across the country.
Elumelu, a super principal officer of the House, lamented that the deplorable condition of the highways had become a source of untold hardship for Nigerians. He observed that countless commuters had suffered injuries, while many others had lost their lives in avoidable road accidents caused by the failed portions of the roads.
He further noted that journeys that ordinarily should last only a few hours had become day-long or even multi-day ordeals, resulting in enormous losses in productivity, increased transportation costs and avoidable economic setbacks.
Expressing concern over what he described as years of inadequate attention to the highways, Elumelu had cautioned that continued neglect worsened the suffering of road users, increased casualties and further weakened commercial activities across the region.
His intervention was not limited to identifying the problems. Exercising the constitutional oversight powers of the National Assembly, he urged the Federal Government to direct the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to immediately mobilise contractors back to the project sites.
He also secured the approval of the House for its Committee on Works and FERMA to investigate previous budgetary allocations, approvals and disbursements made for the rehabilitation of the highways in order to determine the level of implementation and ensure accountability in the utilisation of public funds.
The motion received the unanimous endorsement of the House, reflecting a bipartisan recognition that the deteriorating condition of the roads had become a matter of urgent national concern requiring immediate governmental action.
Today, that intervention remains remarkably relevant.
Residents and commuters are happy that the Federal Government has been working on road and it is hoped that with the relentless efforts of patriots like Elumelu, the entire project would soon be completed.
Against this backdrop, Elumelu’s intervention serves as a reminder that effective representation extends beyond constituency projects; it also requires the courage to bring pressing public concerns before the nation’s highest legislative forum and demand action in the interest of the people.
Throughout his years in the House of Representatives, Elumelu built a reputation for engaging national issues with confidence and clarity. Whether through bills, motions, oversight functions or debates, he consistently demonstrated a willingness to use the legislative process to advocate for infrastructure development, institutional accountability and improved public welfare.
His motion on the Benin–Warri and Benin–Asaba–Onitsha highways remains one such example. It reflected not only compassion for the plight of commuters but also a clear appreciation of the National Assembly’s constitutional responsibility to provide oversight, influence public policy and hold implementing agencies accountable for the execution of projects funded with public resources.
As Rt. Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu seeks a return to the House of Representatives as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election, this legislative intervention offers a documented insight into his approach to representation.
It recalls a parliamentarian who did not hesitate to elevate the concerns of his constituents and the wider region to the national stage, pursuing practical legislative remedies through debate, consensus-building and oversight.
Years after that motion was adopted, the Benin–Asaba–Onitsha Expressway continues to challenge road users. Yet the parliamentary record stands as a lasting reminder that when the opportunity to speak for the people presented itself, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu chose to act.
His voice resonated beyond the Green Chamber, drawing national attention to a problem that remains central to the economic wellbeing of Delta State, the South-South, the South-East and Nigeria as a whole.
In democratic governance, records matter. They remind citizens not only of promises made, but also of actions taken. The motion on the Benin–Warri and Benin–Asaba–Onitsha highways remains one such record; a testament to legislative engagement in pursuit of safer roads, greater accountability and national development.
