A Lagos-based lawyer, Dr Benson Enikuomehin, has expressed appreciation to the House of Representatives for the resolution of its members on the disputed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Lagos-based lawyer and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
The lower chamber of the National Assembly had passed a resolution that the coastal highway should pass through the original route namely, through the coastal Ilaje Coastline in Ondo State and Delta State.
The resolution of the House of Representatives was clearly against the decision of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, who, acting on what he termed as some difficulties in the original plan, redirected the coastal highway to go through Edo State.
Reacting to the intervention of the House of Representatives, Dr Enikuomehin wrote in a statement: “May I place my sincere appreciation on record for the noble role the House of Representatives has played on this matter.
“The RESOLUTION passed that the Coastal Highway should pass through the Original ROUTE is VERY COMMENDABLE. It has put a seal on our agitation that the Minister of works and his Ministry should do the right by going back to the Original ROUTE and Alignment.”
He expressed a wish that the Senate will see wisdom in what the House of Representatives did and also give its support for the noble cause.
The legal practitioner further stated that the people of the coastal communities of Ilaje Local Government Area in Ondo State were happy with the decision of the House of Representatives.
“We heartily appreciate the Honourable members of the House of Representatives for supporting this noble cause. You have given LIFE to us by your resolution.
“Now that the 360 representatives of Nigerians in the legislative house have voiced out their support for the Highway to go through the ORIGINAL ROUTE, I do hope that “Professor” of Engineering in the Federal Ministry of Works, Mabushi, Abuja will heed the wise counsel of the noble Honourables of the House of Representatives,” he added.
A group, the Ilaje Omuro Community Connect (IOCC), had earlier tasked the Minister of Work, Senator David Umahi, asking for justice and equity over alleged misrepresentation and irregularities surrounding the diversion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The group had issued a press release titled “Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: A Call for Justice, Equity, Transparency, and Accountability for the Ilaje People,” to fault the reasons adduced by the minister to alter the original route of the highway.
IOCC, a community-based organisation with over 1,000 members of Ilaje extraction, stated that it has been closely monitoring the developments, public statements, and media reports surrounding the alleged diversion of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway from its originally-proposed route through the Ilaje coastline in Ondo State.
The group spokesperson, B. A. Omobone Esq, declared that IOCC stands for justice, equity, transparency, and sustainable development of the Ilaje coastal communities.
It expressed deep concern over the explanations and justifications reportedly emanating from the office of Senator Umahi, regarding the decision to alter the originally proposed route of the critical national infrastructure project.
The group stated that, as an organisation committed to justice, fairness, equity, and the protection of the collective interests of the Ilaje people, it can no longer remain silent in the face of what it considered serious questions that demand clear answers, independent scrutiny, and transparent public accountability.
“The issue at stake is not merely the construction of a road; it is a question of fairness, economic inclusion, environmental protection, and the right of the Ilaje people to benefit equitably from a major national development project.
On the question of terrain, IOCC challenged the Minister of Works to explain why the terrain of Ilaje Local Government Area was being presented as a major obstacle to the construction of the coastal highway.
It stated that it was imperative to ask Umahi the question, particularly as road projects have previously been undertaken in the same geographical environment.
“We therefore invite the public to ask the minister a fundamental question:
How was the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) able to undertake road construction from Igbokoda to Ugbonla within the same general terrain that is now being cited as a significant challenge to the coastal highway project?”
IOCC also expressed the need to shield “the presidential vision from questionable decisions,” noting: “The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is a major national infrastructure project intended to improve connectivity, stimulate economic growth, and strengthen transportation links across Nigeria’s coastal corridor.”
It added: “It is therefore troubling that concerns have emerged over the exclusion or alteration of the proposed route through the Ilaje coastal axis.”
The group had also urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the objectives of the national project were not undermined by decisions that may unfairly disadvantage particular communities or states.
