By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – Some youths under the aegis of the Niger Delta Youths Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP), have called on President Bola Tinubu, to suspend the N1.8 trillion Lagos-Calabar coast highway project.
The youth group warned that proceeding with the project would amount to duplication of efforts and financial waste.
The call is contained in a statement jointly signed by NDYCPP’s National President, Jude Teidor and George Okitikpi, National Secretary of the group and issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt the 750 kilometers Lagos-Calabar coastal road project with 160 bridges would connect Niger Delta to Ibeju Lekki in Lagos when completed.
The project originally conceived by the Federal Government and entrusted to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has so far gulped the commission N25 billion in feasibility studies, among others, since 2014.
But Teidor expressed deep concerns over recent developments and moves by the Federal Government to reconstruct the East-West Road without incorporating the Lagos-Calabar Road project.
“We draw attention to the Federal Ministry of Works, under the leadership of David Umahi, pursuing negotiations for a new construction contract on the East-West Coastal Road without involving NDDC.
“This move raises suspicion of a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement that would toll the road for years, potentially rendering previous NDDC efforts useless.
“We urge President Tinubu to direct the Federal Ministry of Works to involve NDDC in further negotiations with Hitech Construction Company on the project.
Teidor called on the House of Representatives Committee on Works to closely monitor developments on the road project within four weeks.
“It is important that the federal ministry of works and NDDC harmonize efforts to ensure that their actions align with the existing plans for the project.
“We are confident the alignment could transform the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project into a successful example of effective governance and collaboration for the benefit of all Nigerians,” he added. (NAN)
