… says exercise shall have a human face
The Minister of Works, Engr. Dr. Nweze David Umahi has assured that the construction of Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway being handled by Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would mark a major milestone in the Renewed Hope roadmap towards economic diversification. This was made known in a statement bt the Special Adviser ( Media) to the Minister of Works Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji during the weekend.
He gave this assurance during the flag-off of the demolition of properties affected by the right of way on section 1 of the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway being handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd.
He said, the Federal Government is passionate about the plight of the people and would, in the exercise of the right of way, put a human face in the demotion of properties that were required to give way for the construction of the coastal highway, noting that the Federal Government was considering the most economically viable way to pass the coastal road without much damages.
He further reassured that there would be no delay in the payment of compensation to the property owners entitled to compensation but solicited their cooperation to the timeline of the demolition exercise. He said, “We are doing some minor adjustments, and our commitment is to stay within the coastline. When the initial demolition order was passed to all the affected investors, so to speak, I graciously increased the period to another seven days and yet another four days, and here we are because the project stopped because of the part of this demolition, and I want to commend the likes of Mr Bolaji.” While flagging -off the demolition exercise, he said, “This demolition is going to have a pure human face and so with the utmost fear of Gid, gratitude to God Almighty and commitment to the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in our infrastructural development in particular, I wish to flag-off this demolition exercise to get a right of way within the coastal corridor which is the legitimate right of the Federal Government.”
The Minister, however, called on all those to be affected by the demolition exercise to take it as a sacrifice for the ultimate impact of the project on the economic prosperity of the nation. He highlighted the socio- economic benefits of the project, including the money it will save for businessmen and women and the stability it will bring to the economy. For those playing politics with the economic enhancing project, he said, “Those who are playing politics with this can go ahead. My job is simple, just to pass the coastal road and those who are into politics can continue..”
Speaking during the event, one of the affected property owners, Mr. Balaji Ariyo ( Mami Chula), said the demolition would no doubt affect his business but he had no option than to make sacrifice for the greater good of millions of Nigerians whose livelihood would be impacted by the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway which has a spur that connects South to North. He urged all those to be affected by this critical infrastructure to see it as a sacrifice for the good of all Nigerians. He said,” Yeah, some of us are affected, no doubt about it. But some of us are not up to 0.1% of the millions of people that we enjoy the coastal road. That’s why someone like me and some others also have taken it to heart to also support Mr. President and the Honourable Minister to ensure that this road comes to life.” He noted that the coastal highway has the potential to create greater vistas of opportunities for businesses and other human development initiatives that would benefit a greater number of Nigerians. He said, “As humans, those affected will feel the pain, but the future of the country must be put first. And some of us are paying the price in good faith. So we are human, we feel the pain. But at the same time, if you look at the longer picture, you realize that it’s the benefit of everyone. It’s more than the benefit of one person. Yes, we are sitting on a lot of money, a lot of money being recouped here. But at the same time, it is not worth the enjoyment or the free access of every other Nigerian that will apply the road. So Mr. Minister has already lectured me so well and has consoled me so many times.”
The demolition exercise continues as the Committee of the Federal Ministry of Works on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Section 1 Compensation, headed by the Federal Controller of Works Lagos State, Engr. (Mrs.) Olukorede Iyabo Kesha. works round the clock to ensure that payment of compensation to the affected property owners begins in earnest in a matter of days.
