The Federal Government and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have engaged in a verbal exchange regarding the expenses associated with the Lagos-Calabar Highway Project.
Atiku, who ran as the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in 2023, issued a statement challenging President Bola Tinubu to reveal the total expenditure for the project.
The ex-Vice President expressed concern that the Tinubu administration had yet to disclose the project’s full financial details amidst Nigeria’s ongoing economic difficulties.
Atiku, represented by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, raised questions about the decision to award the contract to Hitech, owned by Gilbert Chagoury, without a competitive bidding process.
Furthermore, he questioned the rationale behind the release of N1.06 trillion for the initial phase, which accounts for 6% of the project, starting from Eko Atlantic and extending to the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
Atiku also questioned the speed at which the Tinubu administration acquired the project’s design and right of way within seven months, considering past administrations’ alleged inaction on the project during the tenures of Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.
In a released statement, Minister of Works David Umahi highlighted that despite the escalating costs of construction materials, the administration has upheld principles of prudence, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and quality in executing road projects.
The minister described Atiku’s analysis as a “gross misrepresentation of facts, and figures and a ploy to mislead Nigerians by darkening counsel without knowledge”.
“He (Atiku) doesn’t understand figures. I am going to run figures for him to understand, and he will understand how prudent the administration of President Tinubu has been. He will understand how prudency is taking the centre stage in this administration.
“The President has once queried me on the cost of on-going projects nationwide. I had to analyse every basic rate of construction materials to arrive at our unit rates. I showed it to Mr. President. He still thinks I should bring down the cost of projects.
“At the same time, the contractors are crying that I am oppressing them so much by reviewing the costs of their projects downwards. They lamented that what they were getting before, they are no longer getting it now. They cried out. But when I run the figures, Nigerians will see what this present administration is doing. So, I’m not here to run the figures now. I will do that in a press conference on my visit to Lagos from 10th April 2024 to 12th April 2024,” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesman, Uchenna Orji.
Presidency Responds
Also, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, said Atiku “made false allusions, in his futile attempt, to denigrate and find faults in the audacious and transformational Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project, which was recently inaugurated as one of the signature projects of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration”.
“Seeking to be a kill-joy, Atiku Abubakar engaged in red-herring by raising ill-thought-out allegations that only exposed his inadequacies and those of his team in getting the basic facts on an issue he badly seeks to nail the government.
“Contrary to the claims in Atiku’s endorsed press statement, at no time did the administrations of former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan award contracts for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway to any company at any varied and revised amount. So the question of costs comparison does not arise.
“The contract that was awarded was that of Lagos-Calabar Coastal rail. The rail was designed as part of the standard guage national rail network. The contract was awarded on August 4, 2021 by the Federal Executive Council presided over by former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN at the cost of $11.17billion. The contract was to be completed in six years. The project didn’t take off.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal rail project has always been on the card. It was another testament of the failure of the previous PDP-led government that it could not get it off the ground in 16 years it held sway.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway and Lagos-Calabar Coastal rail are two distinct projects. It is unfortunate that the former Vice President is confused about the two projects.
“President Tinubu should be praised for having the courage to embark on this transformative project and not vilified as Atiku Abubakar unsuccessfully sought to do.”
…………..
Note : To submit Press Releases, Statements, and Advert Inquiries for publication on Waffi blog (website) or Television 📺, please use the following contact details: You can send an email to info@waffitv.com or reach us via Whatsapp at 07068286500
