Despite ongoing discussions and protests, concerns continue to mount over the proposed demolition of Landmark Beach and other properties for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project.
The presidential defense of the project has not quelled the questions and protests from critics and stakeholders.
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to disclose the full cost of the project. He questioned the lack of competitive bidding for the contract and the decision to award it to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without competitive bidding.
Responding to the presidency’s defense of the project, Atiku reiterated the need for transparency, stating, “The Tinubu administration cannot continue to respond to the public’s inquiry with insults. They must come clean on this project because Nigerians deserve to know the truth.”
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Meanwhile, Funsho Doherty, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the last gubernatorial election, has urged the Lagos State government (LASG) to explore alternative solutions to the demolition of Landmark Beach and other properties for the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.
Doherty emphasized the importance of careful consideration and consultation in such matters, stating, “Fair and just compensation for owners, whether businesses, urban or rural communities along the entire right of way must go along with compulsory acquisitions of property, including undeveloped land, if such acquisitions ultimately prove to be inevitable.”
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In a related development, residents along the Okun Ajah axis of Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) protested the alleged deviation from the mapped-out corridor of the proposed coastal road. They expressed concern over possible underhand deals compromising the original plan for the road development.
The protesting residents cited deviations spotted from the Owonikoko area of Okun Ajah, which they claim contradicts the initial blueprint envisioned by Governor of Lagos State, now President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu.
