The Federal Ministry of Works has budgeted N5 billion to pay judgement debts arising from road projects.
The ministry also budgeted N5 billion for payment of legal fees in the year 2025.
The proposal is contained in the 2025 appropriation budget for the ministry in year 2025 reviewed by LEADERSHIP.
The proposal may not be unconnected with the ongoing four legacy projects connecting the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Particularly, the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway which has been faced with series of legal suits following the demolition of some structures on the corridor.
In August 2024, the Minister of Works Engr. David Umahi disclosed that there were over six court cases against the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway but assured that the federal government will not be deterred.
Speaking on the legal cases against Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway, he said “that is the beauty of democracy and under the guise of democracy we have some fraudulent individuals who want to rip where they did not sow. We have not just one court case, we have over six but we are equal to the task. They want to socket their pipes and that is all that they are doing. We are paying compensation, we are following the gazetted right of way ,we are following the corridor that is legally allowed for federal government so we don’t know why they are taking to court. We have ESIA certificate on the project and the project is listed in 2023 supplementary budget”.
The federal government also budgeted N100,000,000 for the Trans Sahara Superhighway cutting across Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa to Apo in Abuja. The Badagry to Sokoto State Highway construction got 100,000,000.
While this reporter could not identify the particular budget for the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, N100,000,000 was said to be allocated to Lagos-Port Harcourt Coastal Highway project which is non-existent.
When contacted, the Director Information, Ministry of Works Mohammed Ahmed insisted that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is captured in the budget under the four legacy projects.
He however,did not state exactly where it is located in the budget proposal.
