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The Federal Government has assured property owners affected by the demolition along the Right of Way (RoW) for the ongoing Lagos/Calabar Coastal Highway project that they will receive additional compensation.
This assurance was given by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, during a stakeholders’ meeting held yesterday in Lagos. The meeting brought together affected residents, contractors, and government representatives to address concerns surrounding the ambitious coastal highway project.
During the session, attendees inquired about the timeline for compensation and raised questions regarding complaints reportedly coming from some contractors.
In response, Minister Umahi emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring fair treatment for all affected parties.
During the meeting, Umahi resolved the conflict involving all the stakeholders, including the Lekki Free Trade and the Lagos Free Trade zones, to enable the contractor have unhindered access during the construction of the highway.
The minister, who announced the outcome of the meeting while addressing reporters, said the Lekki and Lagos Free Trade zones requested for compensation on their properties that would be affected by the ongoing construction.
These, he said, include additional flyovers, points for water discharge, and solar lights, among others.
Umahi promised to address the requests of the stakeholders in a short time, saying they would be compensated for affected properties.
The minister advised them to leverage one of the Federal Government’s water discharge points into the lagoon where solar lights would be provided, as well as incorporate additional two interchanges to the initial design.
The minister described the actualisation of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and other legacy projects across the country as catalysts for the country’s economic emancipation.
He stressed that “the project, designed to traverse nine states along Nigeria’s shoreline, is an investment in our collective future”.
According to him, the coastal highway will incorporate wind turbines within its corridor to generate clean energy, which will earn the country carbon credit, thereby putting Nigeria on the global pedestal of environment-friendly nations.
Umahi said: “There will be windmill energy for the benefit of the adjoining communities, solar lights, as well as train service in-between the entire alignment, which will stimulate lots of socio-economic investments along the coastal corridors.”
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs. Olukorede Keisha, told property owners that payment of compensation on properties that fall on the RoW was ongoing.
The works controller said the government was also addressing the complaints that the contractor encountered in the course of executing the job.
She said: “Aside from the payment of compensation on properties, another major challenge is that of the Lekki Free Zone. This falls within Phase I of Section II, measuring 55.77 kilometres in length. The contractor promised to deliver this section of the road by May.”
Providing details on the Lagos State’s section of the project, Mrs. Keisha said the project begins at the Ahmadu Bello Way Junction on Victoria Island and terminates at the coastal town of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, with a spur to Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, totaling about 750 kilometres.
The works controller said the alignment was being done on continuous reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP).
She said the stretch that falls within Lagos State is 103 kilometres, adding that for ease of construction, a phased execution of the project was adopted.
The management of the Lekki and Lagos Free Trade zones hailed the minister for initiating the meeting and addressing the issues on the ground. For them, the engagement is a great leap forward to ease of doing business.
(Nation)
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