Ignore darkening counsel against Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project , FG advises Nigerians

By Chris Ochayi

The Federal Government has advised Nigerians to discountenance sarcastic criticisms trailing the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, saying that such darkening counsel is without knowledge.

The 700 kilometre coastal highway projects initiated by the President Bola Tinubu led APC administration has witnessed torrent of criticisms from the public in the recent past with the latest one coming from a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who described it as waste and corrupt.

Speaking during the inspection of the segment of the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Umahi recalled that the idea for the Coastal Highway project, which runs from Lagos to Calabar, originated with the President during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State, nearly twenty-five years ago, describing it as a dream come true for him.

Umahi, while addressing a negative narrative circulating on social media, which he referred to as “darkening counsel without knowledge,” reaffirmed that the four Legacy Road Projects initiated by the President encompass all six geopolitical zones of the country.

He therefore, commended the President for approving funding, as well as providing leadership for the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway.

The minister inspected a segment of the 258-kilometre, 3-lane Carriageway (Section 2, Phase 2A: CH 120+000-CH 378+000) in Gulumbe, Kebbi State, which represents a significant portion of the 1,068-kilometre Super Highway.

According to him, “This is a true reflection of Mr. President’s stance that every region of this country matters, and no region should be left behind or shortchanged.”

On the project spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country, umahi further clarified that when aggregated, the Northern zones account for 52% of them.

In his address, the Governor of Kebbi State, Comrade (Dr.) Nasir Idris expressed his gratitude to the President for his support and the numerous projects being executed in the state.

He emphasised that the inspection underscores the Administration’s commitment to improving infrastructure and transportation as vital enablers of growth, as outlined in the eight-point Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Minister of State, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, Esq., stated that the project “is a promise kept by the President and that the road must be completed,” adding that “Mr. President is passionate about the welfare of every Nigerian, regardless of their origin.”

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, and former Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, remarked, “As we all know, the world is no longer building infrastructure solely through government funding but exploring innovative financing models.

Mr. President, having invested in relationships, both in Nigeria and abroad, finds it easier to engage individuals and partners willing to contribute to funding these massive endeavours.”

Engr. Olufunsho Adebiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, welcomed dignitaries to the project site and promised, “By the time you are here again, you will see it at a different level.”

Also present during the inspection tour was a former Governor of Kebbi State, Sen. Usman Dakingari; Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Usman Ankwai; SSA-P on Community Engagement for the North West Zone, Hon. Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai; SSG of Kebbi State, Alh. Yakubu Bala Tafida; Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Abdullahi Umar Farouk; MD/CEO of Hitech Africa Construction Limited, Mr. Dany Abboud, and many others.