JUST IN: Federal Government Suspends Work On Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway [GIVES REASONS]

JUST IN: Federal Government Suspends Work On Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway [GIVES REASONS]—The federal government has shelved and diverted realignment of Lagos-calabar coastal road projects while also saving the telecommunications infrastructure and submarine cables, among others at the axis.

With the presidential directive, Telcos, MTN submarine cables, and workstations along the Okun-Ajah community axis have been saved from demolition after a thorough assessment of the EIA impact on infrastructure and business activities along the Okun-Ajah community axis.

The minister of Works, David Umahi, while addressing stakeholders meeting in Lagos on Compensation and Environmental Impact Assessment on the coastal road project informed community groups and traditional institutions in the state, particularly the Okun-Ajah community in Lagos.

Earlier, the Okun-Ajah community cried out and warned the federal and Lagos State governments over the alleged illegal variation to the Lagos-calabar coastal highway route which put six villages at the risk of demolition and also the displacement of three traditional kings within the Community if the plan was not shelved.

Umahi buttressed the need to redesign the route to save the 600 years ancestry of Okun-Ajah community, adding that, the president, out of compassion to realise the project, added human phase to save property and infrastructure of Okun-Ajah axis while applauding efforts of the president to divert alignment routes to save the communities from the ongoing demolition exercise stretching along the indigenous communities in the state

The minister said, following the gazetted alignment, and order of the EIA assessment, over 750 houses were expected to be demolished in the old alignment while 450 houses were marked for demolition in the new alignment after thorough assessment of the project along the Okun-Ajah community axis.

Umahi also explained that the project approval followed the process and went through the Bureau of Public Procurement (BBP) after consideration by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as prescribed by law.
Umahi said the project followed certification process and Environmental Impact Assessment Acts and lent credence to it and followed the processes involved.

Umahi noted that BPP issued a certificate of no objection on the project to the Ministry of Works in line with the Procurement Act but added that the Ministry of Works took the certificate of no objection to FEC and FEC debated and approved it.

Umahi maintained that the removal of properties along the route is subject to the rule of law and clarified that only property owners with proven titles will receive compensation.

Also speaking, Group CEO, Machine and Equipment Consortiums Africa, Mr. Iliyasu Abdullah said, three critical infrastructure located along the Okun-Ajah community had existed for 17 years, adding that, the submarines cables, and workstation that give support to infrastructure are critical infrastructure that form significant part of the Internet gateway while applauding efforts of the federal government to save major national infrastructure.