Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road: Shoreline never belonged to Landmark – Umahi

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said that the shoreline affected by the Lagos-Calabar coastal roadworthy ne'er belonged to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Landmark Africa Group, Paul Onwuanibe.

According to Arise TV, Mr Umahi spoke astatine the 2nd gathering with parties affected by the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, which was held connected Wednesday successful Lagos.

The planned infrastructure is designed to nexus the erstwhile superior metropolis to Calabar, a larboard metropolis adjacent the borderline with Cameroon.

Landmark sits on the Atlantic Ocean beachfront successful Lagos’s affluent Victoria Island area.

Some Landmark Beach Resort employees besides protested the beach’s soil filling.

“The shoreline ne'er belonged to Landmark; the owner, Onwuanibe, sublet it to radical illegally,” the works curate said, insisting that Mr Onwuanibe’s infrastructure was unaffected.

Mr Umahi said the Landmark proprietor is “playing authorities with politicians,” adding that “there is thing to claim.”

“Mr President says that this improvement indispensable person 2 factors. One is the fearfulness of God, and the 2nd is the quality face, and that’s what we person tried to do.

“Since we came connected Thursday, we person been going done the way each time from greeting to astir 8 p.m. oregon 9 p.m. We’ve made hard decisions. In immoderate cases, we person followed the gazetted routes. In different cases, we person realigned to the coastal line, majorly. And the coastal enactment from the shore, 250 metres by the Supreme Court judgment, belongs to the national government.

“I speech successful peculiar astir Landmark. There is nary of his infrastructure that is affected. I hold that determination are immoderate radical helium subleased the spot to, but the shoreline was ne'er fixed to him by the Oniru family. These radical helium sublet to, helium erected immoderate caravans, makeshifts, truthful connected and truthful distant wrong the shoreline. So, we are dealing with these radical who sublet the shoreline illegally,” Mr Umahi said.

The curate challenged Landmark to supply documentation to laic claims to the shorelines.

“I person asked him to bring his documents. I situation him and his co-politicians; fto him flash the documents earlier the press,” helium said.

Umahi chides Obi

Mr Umahi besides addressed disapproval of the statesmanlike campaigner of the Labour Party (LP) successful the 2023 elections, Peter Obi.

The erstwhile Anambra politician had described the demolition of structures for the task arsenic “insensitive” and “heart-wrenching.”

“A akin script occurred erstwhile Peter Obi was politician and helium made a statement. He said, ‘Any infrastructure that stands successful the mode of roadworthy operation indispensable spell and determination volition beryllium nary compensation paid.’ That’s what helium said. But look astatine me, by the quality look of the Renewed Hope Agenda administration, we are adjacent paying for radical that are illegally staying connected the coastline and bash not adjacent person valid infrastructure and valid documents. That is mercy.

“You cognize immoderate radical counsel without knowledge. When you condemn people, you bring judgement upon yourself. And that’s what helium has done,” the curate said.

Benefits of the coastal road

The works curate said that the coastal roadworthy volition alteration radical to question with ease.

“…anyone traveling from Sokoto to Lagos volition bash it successful astir 10 hours and traveling from south-east to Abuja volition beryllium a maximum of 5 hours. These are the benefits of the coastal road.

He noted that the roads volition beryllium constructed with factual pavement and volition thrust overseas concern into the country, which volition successful crook fortify the Naira.

He besides said that the coastal roadworthy volition beryllium an “evacuation corridor for the Lagos heavy seaport.”