LAGOS – The Federal Government has approved a total of eighteen billion naira for compensation of property owners and individuals impacted by the ongoing 700 kilometres Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.
Minister of Works, Mr. David Umahi, announced this in Lagos during National Assembly Joint Committee on Works and Federal Ministry of Works Stakeholders’ Engagement in Victoria Island, on the on-going project to address the grey areas in the construction process.
Umahi announced that the amount was increased from eight billion naira to eighteen billion naira by President Bola Tinubu to mitigate the impact on the citizens and to ensure the successful completion of the project.
The Minister of Works assured that payment of compensation for recipients of section one will be completed 100 percent within 10 days while their names and photographs will be published.
The minister encouraged all the stakeholders to support the project because of the overall benefits and advised those that are aggrieved to shun violent protest, but to seek redress in court.
He also disclosed that President Tinubu has directed immediate repairs of all roads across the country to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians using them.
According to the Minister, there is no distinction between roads in the federation and urged all the state governors to go on with the construction of roads across the states.
In their remarks, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Mpigi Barinada and his counterpart at the House of Representatives, Mr. Akin Alabi commended President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Works for organising the stakeholders’ engagement to address the grey areas and the alignment issues.
The lawmakers assured that whosoever is affected by the project will be adequately compensated and cautioned against ethnic colouration of the project by some people.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Yakubu Kofarmata noted that President Bola Tinubu meant well by approving the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway because it will bring development and urged the communities to support the project.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha commended the process and the progress of work made so far, since the inception of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, with the release of funds for execution of all projects, adding that the progress of work in Lagos is unprecedented.
The Stakeholders Engagement was characterized by complaints from a few property owners at Okun Ajah, affected by diversion from the gazetted alignment due to cables of a Telecommunications company and power stations, which the Minister reiterated was recommended by verifiable experts and in larger public interest.
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