The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has urged media and civil society groups to open a full-scale investigative report on alleged land scams and N250 million diaspora remittances sunk into real estate investments by Winhomes properties, who alleged that the federal government demolished her multi-million dollar investment along the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway corridors to pave way for the gazetted alignment of the coastal highway project.
Umahi stated that President Bola Tinubu supports overriding public interest in land acquisition cases for infrastructure projects. This is relevant to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, which has faced opposition from developers, real estate developers, and some property owners along the proposed route.
According to Umahi, the presidency believes that national development precedes individual land ownership in such situations.
He revealed that Winhomes Global Properties has been holding media rounds and engagements in various fora in the diaspora to de-market the efforts of the Ministry of Works on the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to foreign audiences, where she declared that her diaspora investment totalling over $250 million was demolished by the Nigerian government.
Umahi warned diaspora investors to stop engaging in bullying tactics, innuendoes, conjectures and sensational reporting of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project while stating that the Ministry is open for inspection, scrutiny and transparent policy.
Umahi made this known yesterday while inspecting Winhomes’ property on Chainage 18 of the coastal highway. He stated that the property was just bare land, housing no structures and buildings, while refuting the claims that the Nigerian government had demolished a $250 multi-million diaspora investment.
Speaking to Journalists on the Winhomes site, Umahi said,’’ As you can see, there’s nothing like $250 million diasporan investments here. It is just a cyber-bullying attempt to send propaganda to the ministry and de-market the minister’s efforts in bolstering road infrastructure projects in the country.’’
The minister’s inspection tour followed accusations by Mrs Stella Okengwu, Chairman of Winhomes Global Services, who alleged land scams, unpaid compensations, and the demolition of her $250 million investments along the coastline corridors.
She had earlier claimed that officials of the Ministry of Works demanded bribes to prevent the demolition of her property, and that the original gazetted alignment of the coastal highway was compromised after some developers allegedly bribed for approvals to adjust the route.
