David Umahi, the Minister of Works, says the “over six” court cases against the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will not deter the Federal Government from its job.
The Minister stated this on Thursday during a press briefing marking his one year in office.
The project, he said went through restrictive procurement, and the Federal Government has been paying compensation to affected owners of structures along the right-of-way.
Speaking on the legal cases against the Coastal highway, he said, “That is the beauty of democracy, and under the guise of democracy, we have some fraudulent individuals who want to rip where they did not sow.
READ ALSO: “Is That The Right Priority?” – APC Chieftain Queries Tinubu Over Coastal Road Project
“We have not just one court case—we have over six—but we are equal to the task. They want to socket their pipes, which is all they do. We are paying compensation, we are following the gazette right of way, and we are following the corridor that is legally allowed for the federal government, so we don’t know why they are taking it to court. We have an ESIA certificate on the project, and the project is listed in the 2023 supplementary budget”.
He explained that the budget and project are different.
“The FEC approved the project under restrictive procurement, which is in the law. They will go nuts because we have what they thought we didn’t have; if they want to benefit from the project unduly, they will not,” he added.
