By Seun Adams
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has expressed readiness that the completed sections of President Bola Tinubu’s legacy projects which comprised of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto-Badagry highway will be commissioned on May 25.
Umahi, reiterated that the legacy projects in the road sector are designed to pass through all the six (6) geopolitical zones of the country.
The Minister made this known during a continuous stakeholders’ engagement on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway which held on Sunday in Lagos, after a 4-day working visit to road project sites in some South-western States.
According to Umahi, the ongoing 750-kilometre coastal highway legacy project begins in Victoria Island, Lagos, and ends in Calabar, Cross River State with spurs in Ondo and Cross River States, stressing that it passes through the South West, South-South, as well as the South East zones of Nigeria.
Another one, he added is the Abakaliki-Abuja highway, which commences at Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, South-east, Nigeria, where the spur from Calabar ends, passing through several towns and villages in the North Central zone and terminating at Apo, Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Ilelah (Sokoto) – Badagry (Lagos) is traversing the North West down to the South West zones and st the same time, the fourth is planned to take off from Akwanga in Nasarawa State to Jos, Plateau State both in the North Central zone passing through Bauchi, and ending at the Gombe State capital both in the North East zone.
The Minister applauded President Tinubu for his ingenuity in initiating this lofty idea, which is not mere road and bridge infrastructures but investments in our collective future.
“These legacy projects should be welcomed and encouraged by all Nigerians for their economic derivatives rather than being politicised.” He said.
Earlier in her Welcome Speech, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Engr. Kesha Olukorede, stated that the engagement with stakeholders on the Lagos-Calabar corridor is a continuous one until all thorny issues are resolved.
She further said that this meeting also gauges the citizens’ feelings about the gigantic project.
Also, speaking at the meeting, the Director, Highways, Bridges and Design, Engr. Bede Obiora, disclosed that the purpose of the gathering was to engage stakeholders, individually or collectively affected by the construction of the 103-kilometre alignment within Lagos State.
The Minister informed them that it was true but the idea has been shelved and the construction is following the original plan.
Others with concerns about parcels of land and buildings, cables, and schools, amongst others affected were assured that the Federal government would pay compensation but land would not be included. According to the Minister, “We will not demolish any property without paying for it. We pay and compensate properties not land, according to the laws of the land.” Cable ducts are to be installed to avoid damaging them, he added.
He also intimated the audience that the Federal Government has paid 100% compensation to affected persons along Phase I, Section I, directing that a Secretariat be set up to collate all complaints for compensation in Phase I, Section II.
