Umahi slams critics of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, calls them jealous

Nigerian Minister of Works David Umahi has strongly defended the ongoing Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, dismissing critics as envious and disbelieving of President Bola Tinubu's administration. Speaking after inspecting the project in Ila llaje Local Government Area, Umahi addressed concerns raised by Sola Ebiseni, Secretary-General of Afenifere, who had called for a review of the highway's alignment to include coastal communities in Ondo State.

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Let me remark on what the Afenifere secretary wrote, accusing the Ministry of Works of diverting the coastal highway and, of course, when he said that it was diverted to upland because of people that own estates there, that’s far from being the truth.

Umahi refuted claims that the highway was diverted inland due to private land ownership, stating that while the preference is to follow the coast, engineering realities are dynamic. He also responded to an interview where a critic questioned the project's scope and priority. "Those who are attacking the coastal highway, I would say, are doing so out of envy and jealousy because they never believed that this president could do it," Umahi asserted. He praised President Tinubu, calling him a "Divine President" for his ability to "tame the Atlantic Ocean."

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The coastal highway, we know, our preference is to go along the coast. But engineering is very dynamic. When we designed the coastal highway within this section, yes, we designed it to go through the coast, just about two kilometres off the shoreline.

The minister detailed the project's status, reporting that section one, spanning 7.47 km from Victoria Island to Eleko Village, is complete. Section two, covering 5 km within Lagos to the border, is about 70 percent finished, while sections three, three B, and four, totaling 149 km, are in progress with varying completion rates.

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So, those who are attacking the coastal highway, I would say, are doing so out of envy and jealousy because they never believed that this president could do it. But the man who tamed the Atlantic Ocean is good. I call him a Divine President. And I want our stakeholders and leaders to watch and see this president realise this coastal highway.