By Dele Ogbodo
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi on Saturday commenced nationwide engagement with over 13 Governors, on whose domain the over 1622km super highway crisscrossed, Law-makers at the Upper and lower Chambers, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Telecommunications operators, traditional rulers, the media and other stakeholders in proposed alignment of the nationwide projects.
The proposed highway road infrastructure now commonly referred to as President Bola Tinubu’s 3 legacy projects runs into trillions of naira with that of Lagos-Calabar corridor gulping over N15 trillion alone, as revealed by the hard working Minister.
In a statement made available to the Media on Friday, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Dr. Yakubu Kofarmata, said the first engagement will start from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on today (Saturday) and will dovetailed in Calabar, Cross River State on Sunday 30.
According to him, the various engagements which have been slated to hold nationwide will thrash the proposed alignment for the construction of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway (LCCH): 38km section 3A in Cross River State, 27km section 3B and 80km section 4 in Akwa Ibom State as well as the design of the Cross River 92km segment of Calabar-South East-North Central-Apo (Abuja) Superhighway by African Trans Sahara highway.
The other dates slated for the engagement are: July 3, in Kebbi, Kebbi State, Ilorin in Kwara State and Lagos, July 15 in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State while the date for that of North Central slated for Lokoja in Kogi, has not been decided.
In a related development, while corroborating the Permanent Secretary, the Minister’s Spokesperson, Barr. Orji Uche Orji, in a statement said following President Tinubu’s approval for the commencement of the national road infrastructure network that will traverse the country which aligned with the Renewed Hope strategic economic recovery plans, the Minister has commenced nationwide stakeholders engagement for the construction of sections of the three (3) Renewed Hope Legacy Road Infrastructure projects.
He said, the Minister will on Saturday, 29th, and Sunday 30th June 2024 hold this session of the stakeholders’ engagement in Akwa Ibom and Cross-River States, respectively.
Attempts by our Reporter to the Minister’s Media through his GSM line for further clarifications on both the total length of the high and cost implication was aborted as Orji did not pick his calls and SMS sent to him.
In Akwa Ibom, as according to him, Umahi, is expected to present and discuss the proposed alignment for the construction of Sections 3B and 4 of LCCH project passing through the State and in Cross River State, he will present and discuss section 3A of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and 92 km segment of the Calabar-South East-North Central-Apo Abuja Super highway passing through the state.
He said stakeholders expected in the event include: Governors of concerned States, Senate and Federal House of Representatives Committees on Works, Ministers of line Ministries, Royal fathers and technocrats, Nigerian Communications Commission and major Telecommunication Service Providers, other relevant stakeholders and the Media.
The Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, is expected to be the Special Guest of in the event. The state governors in the 3 corridors include: Lagos, Cross River, Akwa-Ibom, Enugu, Sokoto, Kebbi, Ogun, Kogi, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to him, the 3 renewed hope legacy road infrastructure projects when completed shall have historic national interconnectivity that will crisscross the major transportation routes of Northern and Southern States of Nigeria and that is the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway (SBS): “A 1,000-kilometer highway connecting Sokoto in Northern Nigeria to Badagry in Western Nigeria, passing through 7 States and connecting to the Lagos-Calabar coastal (LCCH) highway at Ahmadu Bello way Lagos; Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“A 700-kilometer coastal highway connecting from Lagos State to Cross River State through 8 States; and the Calabar-South East-North Central-Apo Abuja 477-kilometer Superhighway connecting from Calabar to Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa States and ending at Apo in Abuja.” Orji, averred.
The stakeholders’ meeting, Orji, said will afford opportunities to communities along the routes and trade corridors to appreciate the potentials of the project to the enhancement of industrialization, tourism, agricultural commercialization and mechanization, trade and investment, and economic competitiveness not only among the people of the area, but also the various regions of Nigeria, and thus stimulate national prosperity.