FG to Pay N4.7bn Compensation for Lagos-Calabar Section 2
For the umpteenth time, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has denied that the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway resulted in the destruction of $250m investment.
“Where is the money? Where is the $250m investment,” Umahi asked repeatedly at a stakeholders’ engagement on the Highway project held in Lagos.
At the stakeholders’ meeting yesterday, the Minister further disclosed that due to the directive of the President to save the submarine cables belonging to telecom companies, in Oko Ajah Community, over 7,500 houses were saved.
Samson Agbato of Samson Agbato Consulting who led the enumeration team for the section two of the project spanning from 47.5km to 104km disclosed that the total compensation was valued at N4.7bn. He reiterated that no $250m investment was touched.
“I heard the Minister talking about $250m investment and that is very surprising because $250m is a lot of billions in naira if converted and when it comes to buildings, they cannot be hidden, even when you pile down to 35 ft, when you are going up, you would see it.
From what we have seen so far, from my colleagues that did that enumeration, there is nothing there.”
Umahi further disclosed that the first section from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko which covers a 30-kilometer stretch would be commissioned by President Tinubu on 25th of May.
‘To construct flyover bridges over Dangote Refinery, Fertiliser Plant’
He also disclosed that the government would be constructing a flyover to bypass Dangote Refinery, Dangote Fertiliser plant and other conflict points in the highway corridor.
He said, “This project is not just road construction, it is an investment and when you see people that are still pretending to confront the project, it is out of envy and jealousy. There is nothing more than that because I have run the figures and I am saying that even the inherited projects on existing roads, the cost is higher than this project.”
He commended the contractor, Hitech, for demonstrating capacity in the construction of the project.
Umahi added that there would be CCTV on the road and the response time for any issue would be less than 5 minutes, adding that there would also be evacuation corridors.
He said, “We would be earning carbon credits by using solar because we are not burning diesel. This is very important. We are going to be having trees all through and I welcome you by the 25th of May to come and see what we have achieved and by December you would see wonders.”
He stated that there is a conflict at Section Two, but this is being addressed due to the ingenuity of the contractor.
“We have the Dangote Refinery, you need about 60-meter clearance for the trucks to go in and out. We are now building a flyover that has a span of 60 meters and the next span is 41.6 meters.
“So, we are flying over Dangote Refinery, Dangote Fertiliser and we are flying over some other conflict points.”
With a train coming in the middle from the Lekki Deep Seaport, the project is going to be a sight to behold, adding, “We are going to achieve it. It is going to be another tourist site and let me announce that along the corridor there are lands the state government has given us rights so that we can build our tollgates, supermarkets, petrol stations, mini medical facilities and so on and so forth.”
The Minister further disclosed that the government would flag off construction of the Cross River Section of the Highway on April 14.
“We are going there, to Cross River, on 14, to flag off the construction. By 15, we will also go to Akwa Ibom to flag off.
“That 65km is the worst terrain. It is 65km times two, which is 130km,” he said.
SOURCE: Daily Trust
