. Flags off demolition of properties along Lagos-Calabar axis
The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, said on Sunday that he had been given a presidential directive on the immediate design of the Sokoto- Badagry Coastal Highway.
Mr Umahi spoke after he inspected the end of Section one, phase one of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and its realignment in Lagos, to flag-off the demolition of properties affected by the right of way on the Section being handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd.
Regarding the Sokoto- Badagry axis, the Minister said: “I’m happy that Mr President has also directed me to start the immediate design of the Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway. This one is a spur of the Coastal highway, and that one is 1000 kilometres.
“We have started the design and I am sure that as soon as the Federal Executive Council approves it, we will be starting at the Sokoto side, which is the zero point. We also have another spur which is going to go from Enugu -Abakaliki-Ogoja going to Cameroon.
“So, we have that spur and it is about 361 kilometres, going through Otukpo to Benue to Nasarawa and ends up at Apo in Abuja. We are also going to be presenting it to Mr President, and when this is done, then the coastal routes like we promised will go to circle the entire country.”
…in the exercise of the right of way, put a human face in the demotion of properties that were required to give way for the construction of the coastal highway.
The Minister said upon completion, the coastal road would connect the South-West, South-South, North-East, North-West and North-Central regions of Nigeria.
Mr Umahi expressed belief in the significance of the coastal road project, which he said would be a first in Africa.
“So, this will be the legacy that we have never seen in Africa, and I think that God has sent Mr President to do this and he’s just doing it. He’s a man of courage and we are also learning courage following him,” the minister added.
On properties to be demolished on the Lagos-Calabar right of way, the Minister said the Federal Government is passionate about the plight of the people and would, in the exercise of the right of way, put a human face in the demotion of properties that were required to give way for the construction of the coastal highway.
A statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Orji Orji, quoted Mr Umahi as noting that the Federal Government was considering the most economically viable way to pass the coastal road without many damages.
He further reassured that there would be no delay in the payment of compensation to property owners entitled to compensation but solicited their cooperation to the timeline of the demolition exercise.
He said: “We are doing some minor adjustments, and our commitment is to stay within the coastline. When the initial demolition order was passed to all the affected investors, so to speak, I graciously increased the period to another seven days and yet another four days, and here we are because the project stopped because of this demolition.”
