Obasanjo Draws Flak for Controversial Stance on Coastal Highway Project

By Eshioromeh Sebastian, Abuja

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, known for his controversial stance, has come under backlash from the Federal Government and some stakeholders over remarks deemed not only uninformed but also reckless regarding the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The criticism stems from a statement in chapter six of Obasanjo’s newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, where he labeled the highway initiative as wasteful and riddled with corruption.

Additionally, he took a sweep at the Tinubu’s administration for allocating N21 billion toward the construction of a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, dismissing it as a misallocation of resources and a glaring example of misplaced priorities.

But reacting to Obasanjo’s criticism, the government urged Nigerians to ignore his comments.

Minister of Works, David Umahi told critics of the project should avoid using the road when completed. Umahi made this statement in Akure, Ondo State, during an interactive session on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

“This Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of President Tinubu’s four legacy projects. For those saying it is a waste of resources, they should not use the road when it is completed,” he said.

On the project’s transparency, he said, “If someone calls this project fraudulent, they are also calling me a fraud, and I am definitely not. This project has been very transparent, and we continue to engage stakeholders. Every step of the process is in the public domain.”

Umahi emphasized that it was his duty as Minister of Works to clarify misconceptions, saying, “The former president deserves our respect, but I must state that this project is neither wasteful nor corrupt.”

He further suggested that critics might harbor envy over the administration’s achievements, remarking, “Some persons are beginning to realise that a single leader is being celebrated for such transformative legacies, particularly those who had the chance to contribute to comparable initiatives but failed to do so.”

Also reacting to Obasanjo’s comments, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described them as uninformed.

He said: “Former President Obasanjo seems to see himself as the only Nigerian created by God who knows what is good for Nigeria at any given time. If, as President for eight years, he couldn’t fix the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Lagos-Abeokuta road, we can’t take his latest view on the Lagos-Calabar highway as well-informed.”

Senator Shehu Sani, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has also added his voice defending the coastal highway project, rejecting claims by Obasanjo that it is a wasteful venture.

Sani’s comments come after Obasanjo criticised the ambitious infrastructure project, calling it both wasteful and corrupt.

Sani defended the coastal highway project via a post on his X handle on Thursday, March 13.

He wrote: “I don’t think Lagos Calabar highway is wasteful, taking cognisance that such amount of money for the project can be stolen by one man, as it happened in the CBN in the past.”