Minister of Works, David Umahi has told a former President of the federation, Chief Olusegun and other critics not to ply the Lagos-Calabar coastal road when it’s completed.
Obasanjo had in chapter six of his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’,described the N15.6tn Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project as wasteful and corrupt.
But Umahi at a stakeholders in Thursday meeting on the coastal highway section in Ondo, declared that the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is a legacy project contrary to the claim of a former President of the federation, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.and other critics of the project.
According to him, those criticising the project are envious of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of the huge legacies he building.
He said most condemning the projects because they probably had the opportunity at a point in time to do similar work but failed to do it.
Umahi said when the road is completed, those criticising the project should not ply the road.
The minister said: “The man(Obasanjo) by his age deserves our respect, but it’s my duty as the Minister of Works to explain that the project is not wasteful and the project is not corrupt.
“I read on the social media where they said why is it me that’s explaining and why is the contractor not explaining. What should the contractor say?
“It is my duty to explain and I’m eminently qualified by reason of my years in public service and training as a Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) to explain the project.
“I think anybody still criticising the project is waking up to say how can one man be attributed to this kind of legacies, especially if you have the opportunity to do something to contribute to this kind of investment and you didn’t do that.
“The truth remains the section one of the Lagos-Calabar, that job is already done about 70 percent complete within one year, and I will be asking those criticising it not to follow the road.
“This Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the four legacy projects of Mr. President. For those saying it is a waste of resources, when the project is completed, they should not use the road.
“This is not a wasteful project and it is not fraudulent. If someone is saying it’s a fraud, that person is also saying that I am a fraud and I am definitely not.
“This project has been very transparent, and that is why we continue to engage the stakeholders. Every step of the processes has been very transparent and every detail is in public domain.”