The government of Nigeria has started the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, resulting in the demolition of a section of Landmark Beach.
The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, estimated to cost N15 trillion and in development for over a decade, aims to connect Lagos to Calabar in Cross River State through several coastal states like Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the funding and bidding process of the project, with allegations of lacking transparency.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, has criticized the decision to award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech Construction Company Limited. Atiku also questioned the total cost of the project and the allocation of funds for its pilot phase.
Similarly, Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, opposed the project, labeling it a white elephant project and advocating for funds to be redirected to repair abandoned projects across the country.
Despite assurances from Minister of Defence, David Umahi, that no buildings would be demolished, structures like Landmark Beach have been affected by the construction of the highway.
The demolition of Landmark Beach, a popular tourist attraction, has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some supporting the move while others lamenting the loss of investment and employment opportunities.
In response to the demolition, the CEO of Landmark, Paul Onwuanibe, called on the Federal Government to reconsider the route of the coastal road project to avoid job losses and business closures.
Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, defended the demolition, stating that Landmark Africa has no claim to the shoreline within the Right-of-Way for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. He accused the owners of Landmark Beach of playing politics and pandering to public sentiments.
In another statement on Wednesday, David Umahi announced that the federal government will pay N2.75 billion in compensation to property owners affected by the demolition required for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway today (Wednesday).
He disclosed this during a stakeholder meeting held in Lagos today, stating that the highway is projected to stretch from channel 0 to channel 3.
According to him, more compensation is expected to be paid in the coming days. “Today, we are paying over N2 billion in compensation from Channel 0 to Channel 3.
“So, I will invite the controller Lagos to stamp and sign and with this, the contractors can now go ahead confidently within the right of ways and then will also give a copy to the numerators to go ahead. We have rerouted several places.
“I wish to flag off the compensation from channel 0 to channel 3 in the total sum of N2.75 billion,” Umahi said.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Nigerian government douses tension, announces date to start paying new minimum wage for workers