Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has reiterated the federal government’s commitment to opening up the south west corridors for massive economic growth, saying the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway holds the magic wand.
Umahi highlighted ongoing work across multiple sections, including those in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River. Over 30 dredgers are used for the coastal terrain.
The minister made the assertion during inspection of the second section of the road at Kilometre 77, Ibeju Lekki, saying that the commitment of the contractor handling the road has gone beyond just providing service to becoming a developmental partner to the Nation.
Addressing social media concerns, the minister clarified that there is no damage to completed works in Section 1, attributing visible conditions to ongoing sand filling and rain-induced consolidation.
The Minister assured that none of the completed sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road were damaged, as was widely reported and claimed by some people. He affirmed that with the rate at which the construction work is going, it will be completed ahead of the 36-month completion schedule.
He expressed confidence that if the contractor can sustain working at the goal of completing one kilometre daily despite the massive sand filling they grappled with in the swampy areas of the first and second sections, it will certainly complete the construction ahead of time.
On contrary opinions by some members of the public, Umahi said, “The illusion by some people that some of the completed portions of the Lagos-Calabar road are damaged is not true; what they fail to understand is that we have to carry out massive sand filling with stone base on some swampy portions of the road in the first two sections and have to wait 40 days for it to firm up before laying concrete to link up the rest of the road.
“This is why I have taken you through the route to see that there is no damage to any part of the completed sections. Nigerians need to see the extent of work being carried out before we cover it with concrete and pavement so they will understand what has happened,” he said.
He stressed that some places have over 20 feet of filling, while some have over 26 feet of filling, saying it is essential for the public to know this and the extent of what they are doing to construct the road.
Also speaking, Controller of Works, Lagos State Engr. Olukorede Keisha said, “We almost got to the end of Section 2, Lagos end of the Coastal road, and we saw that the contractor is faring well, diligently working on the task with clinical perfection.”
