FG Dismisses Rumors OF Attempted Blockage OF Obasanjo’s Travel On Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

During an inspection of the project in Lagos on Saturday, Umahi clarified his previous comments, emphasizing that he never barred Obasanjo from using the road. He stated, “The former president is not only my former leader but also my father and in-law, so I hold him in high regard. I never said he should not use the road.”

Umahi explained further, “What I actually said was that if anyone criticizes the road, they have the option to choose whether or not to use it. I did not specify that the former president should avoid it.”

In defense of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, Umahi labeled it a crucial investment with significant socio-economic benefits, dismissing critics who labeled it wasteful. He asked, “Is it wasteful because we’re going to earn carbon credits from the concrete pavement and solar lighting? Or because windmill energy will connect communities along the route? Or is it wasteful because it connects Lagos to Calabar?”

The minister also pointed out other major infrastructure projects, including the Sokoto-Badagry Highway (1,068km) and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Road (462km), questioning why the Lagos-Calabar project was singled out for criticism.

Umahi highlighted the benefits of the highway, which will cut travel time between Lagos and Calabar to just five hours, making it a vital route for evacuating goods from industries and refineries.