The Federal Government has slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his criticism of the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, insisting that those opposed to the project should refrain from using the road when completed.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this declaration on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during an interactive session on the project.
“This Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of President Tinubu’s four legacy projects. For those saying it is a waste of resources, they should not use the road when it is completed,” Umahi stated.
His remarks came in response to Obasanjo’s assertion that the 700-kilometer superhighway was wasteful, corrupt, and a misplaced priority. The former president made the criticism in his book, Nigeria: Past and the Future.
Umahi dismissed the allegations, insisting that the project was neither fraudulent nor unnecessary.
“If someone calls this project fraudulent, they are also calling me a fraud, and I am definitely not.
“This project has been very transparent, and we continue to engage stakeholders. Every step of the process is in the public domain,” he said.
He further emphasized that Obasanjo, despite his stature, had no justification for questioning the project’s credibility.
“The man, by his age, deserves our respect, but it’s my duty as the Minister of Works to clarify that the project is not wasteful and not corrupt,” Umahi added.
Addressing concerns about his role in defending the highway rather than the contractors, the minister said, “I read on social media where they asked, ‘Why is it me explaining and not the contractor?’ What should the contractor say? It is my duty to explain, and I’m eminently qualified by reason of my years in public service and training as a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.”
Taking a further swipe at critics, Umahi suggested that opposition to the project stemmed from envy.
“I think anybody still criticising the project is waking up to say, ‘How can one man be attributed to this kind of legacy?’—especially if you had the opportunity to contribute to this kind of investment and didn’t do so,” he stated.
Umahi highlighted the progress made so far, disclosing that Section One of the highway, spanning 47.7 kilometers, was already 70 percent completed within a year.
“I will be asking those criticising it not to follow the road. They should not follow the road,” he said.
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