Minister of Works David Umahi has assured Nigerians that the continued Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway challenge will proceed as deliberate regardless of a pending courtroom case difficult its implementation.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 700-kilometer challenge, will run from Victoria Island, Lagos, to Calabar, Cross River State, passing via a number of states, together with Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom.
The challenge is predicted to be a big infrastructural improvement, enhancing connectivity and boosting financial actions alongside Nigeria’s coastal area.
Speaking throughout a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi emphasised that the Federal Government is dedicated to seeing the challenge via and that every one essential authorized and procedural necessities 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 acknowledged, as he dismissed claims that the challenge lacked correct authorisation.
He expressed confusion over the premise of the courtroom case, noting, “And so, we don’t know what they are taking to court.”
The Minister additionally addressed issues relating to the challenge’s procurement course of, highlighting that it had been permitted by the Federal Executive Council beneath 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 defined.
Umahi went on to defend the fee and scale of the challenge, noting that comparisons to different worldwide tasks have been unfounded.
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“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 mentioned, criticising these questioning the challenge with out adequate information.
The Minister additionally reassured stakeholders that every one environmental and social impression assessments had been accomplished and that the challenge was included within 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 these making an attempt to halt the challenge via authorized means, stating, “If they want to unduly benefit from the project by going to court, they are wasting their time.”
He additional declared, “I fought many battles as governor of my state. And so, my name is David. And I’m not afraid of bad people.”