Nigerian govt withholds payment of compensations for Lagos-Calabar project

The Federal Government has withheld payment of compensation to property owners on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project due to alterations to the plan.

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, disclosed this when he inspected ongoing works on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other road projects on the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Dangote Tax Credit Route, and Eleko on Saturday in Lagos.

The minister said the government had reduced the entire corridor from Phase Two, Section Two of the coastal route to effective pavements of 55km, including the 10 train tracks.

He added that the government had released about N10 billion so far in compensation.

Umahi said: “We are going to withhold compensation payment from Kilometer Seven because we have re-routed some of the sections, like the white sand beach.

“I know the indigenes have been praying very well. I think God has answered their prayers because we have also compressed the corridor to 55 effective pavements with 10 train tracks.

“We reduced the 10 tracks from 55 to 20, and we are taking it back also towards the beginning of this project.”

READ ALSO: Lagos-Calabar Coastal road: Atiku hits at Umahi, says project is highway of fraud

The minister said payment of the compensation would continue after the review.

“For Section Two, we are going to have brand new enumerators so that they will also give us their opinions.

“It is going to be very, very fast.

“We saved all those cables and saved the whole community of Okunaja, by not only re-routing but re-routing entirely through a swamp.

“I hear that some people are calling to protest that we are re-routing to the swamp, that we should go to the gazetted and then destroy the cables.

“I wonder what kind of people we are dealing with. It is very funny.

“I believe that they will see reasons to be very reasonable,” he stated.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now