Umahi vows to continue Coastal highway despite court case

Minister of Works David Umahi has assured Nigerians that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project will proceed as planned despite a pending court case challenging its implementation.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 700-kilometer project, will run from Victoria Island, Lagos, to Calabar, Cross River State, passing through several states, including Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom.

The project is expected to be a significant infrastructural development, improving connectivity and boosting economic activities along Nigeria’s coastal region.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi emphasised that the Federal Government is committed to seeing the project through and that all necessary legal and procedural requirements have been met.

“We are paying compensation. We are following the corridor right of way. We are following the corridor that is legally allowed for the federal government,” Umahi stated, as he dismissed claims that the project lacked proper authorisation.

He expressed confusion over the basis of the court case, noting, “And so, we don’t know what they are taking to court.”

The Minister also addressed concerns regarding the project’s procurement process, highlighting that it had been approved by the Federal Executive Council under the Restrictive Procurement Act.

“My permanent secretary is a procurement expert, and I have a very good department of public procurement and good directors. But the project was approved by the Federal Executive Council under restrictive procurement,” he explained.

Umahi went on to defend the cost and scale of the project, noting that comparisons to other international projects were unfounded.

“I’ve had to run even the cost of the project at 4 billion per kilometre. And yet, people still come to say, oh, this number of lanes in Egypt is 1.8 billion. And it is 300 kilometres,” he said, criticising those questioning the project without sufficient knowledge.

The Minister also reassured stakeholders that all environmental and social impact assessments had been completed and that the project was included in the 2023 supplementary appropriation.

“We have EIA certificates on the project. That’s number one. Number two, was the project listed in the appropriation list? The project is in the 2023 supplementary appropriation,” he confirmed.

Umahi warned those attempting to halt the project through legal means, stating, “If they want to unduly benefit from the project by going to court, they are wasting their time.”

He further declared, “I fought many battles as governor of my state. And so, my name is David. And I’m not afraid of bad people.”