“The redesign of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway’s original route, which initially included Water Corporation Road but now incorporates the coastal path affecting establishments like Landmark Beach Resort, is necessary to avoid demolishing the extensive infrastructure developed by original planners” – Minister Dave Umahi, probably, cleverly rationalising for ethnic purposes.

David Nweze Umahi, Senator of the Federal Republic and former Governor of Ebonyi State, is no placeholder in the Tinubu Federal Executive council. A professional Engineer, and politician, who left an impressive record as governor of Ebonyi state, he is, everything considered, a star performer. What with the incredible road infrastructure he is building across the country?

The Lagos – Calabar coastal highway, for instance, ranks as a signature project of the Tinubu administration, one which is hoped would be completed on schedule, unlike the East – West road which, though started as far back as 2006, is still ongoing with no known completion date as some politicians in that part of the country have turned it to a sinkhole for fraudulent personal enrichment.

With regards to the Lagos – Calabar coastal road, a truly profound civil engineering project, however, I hasten to warn that the minister would have to be extra careful not to allow matters of consanguinity mar his impressive performance to date.

To help him rethink and maintain his credibility, I present below the views of a concerned Nigerian who believes that unlike the late Professor Dora Akunyili, of blessed memory, who worked her heart out battling her own Igbo compatriots who thought nothing of inundating the country with beautifully packaged, but fake drugs from Asia, Engr Umahi already appears to be falling prey to ethnic chauvinism.

He seems determined, It is alleged, to protect his compatriots who habitually disobey land laws all over the country, especially in Lagos and the Federal capital territory, Abuja.

Please come with me as I present the piece, captioned as in the article’s title above. It reads as follows:

“The Minister of Works can be forgiven if he does not understand the history of the Yorubas of South West Nigeria. The children of Oduduwa who all migrated from Ile- Ife in addition to spreading into the thick forests, also ventured into the riverine areas spreading from Lagos through the Ogun waterside into Ilaje Ese Odo in Ondo state, just like their cousins- the itshekiri, into Warri.

These places have for centuries been, and remain, their ancestral homes. This is a known fact to all those who respect Yoruba history and their norms and culture.

In the wake of the announcement of the Lagos – Calabar coastal road, Nigerians except, of course political opposition, jumped up for joy at another President Tinubu’s masterpiece which is primed to open up the coastal economy. Afterall, he had himself, over 20years ago, as Lagos state governor, acquired the right of way for the road – a road which his government would most probably have constructed but for President Obasanjo’s antagonism to anything Tinubu.

That right of way was dutifully marked and announced via newspaper adverts and handed over to the minister by the authorities in Lagos. However, rather than work with that, the minister and his ministry birthed the present, absolutely unnecessary confusion.

For decades, Lagos State did not issue certificate of occupancy and building approval to anyone to build on the right of way. Issues were, instead, simple and straightforward. But now, some chronic abusers of land laws who did not obey the right of way must have cried to the minister who then started shifting, and shifting, to save those who have built on the right of way – a shift that has started to cause massive confusion.

Suddenly, he announced that there is a January 2024 Supreme Court judgement that granted the Federal Government a 250m right of way as if life and people did not exist on the shorelines before January 2024. Pronto, he further announced that he has appropriated 200m of the 250m on the shoreline. Indeed, the shoreline of today was about 1km into the sea a couple of years back.

Pray, the total extent and lay – back of the coastal road he plans to build is only 100m. What then does he need the additional 100m he wishes to forcefully acquire from the Lukmans, the Ajayi’s and the other indigenous peoples for?

The Indigenous communities are willing, and prepared to hand him the 100m he needs but, no, minister Umahi must take everything.

If this is not injustice, what is?

He said he was realigning the road to the shoreline and that he would take 200m, depriving over 75,000 indigenous Yoruba land and home owners of their ancestral land and homes. If he is interested in protecting the property of those who did not obey existing laws, should this be at the expense of the ever considerate and accommodating indigenous community who offered him 100m for his road and rail? Must he set sight on the lush coastland on which some money miss road elite would then come round to build marinas? Or is he saying that the indigenous peoples should now relocate right into the Atlantic ocean? Can he ever attempt to do this in the Niger- Delta area?

To make matters worse, the minister announced on Friday 19^th April, at a Press conference, that he would not pay compensation for 250m of the shoreline, meaning that the indigenous communities at Alpha Shoreline, Lafiaji( Oceanbay) shoreline, Okun Ajah, Iwereko and others, should go and hang?

Is leadership not about compassion and care for the poor?

A leader must know that it’s not everything that is legal that is moral.

I call on Minister Umahi to allow the poor of our shorelines to breathe. Their land is not available to be shared by the rich. He should, therefore, take 100m for the road and rail line as it is in the alignment and drawings, and not an inch more!

The poor In those areas are also Nigerians. Indeed to make matters worse, in places like Landmark, and other areas where the rich live, the minister is, inexplainably, taking only 50m.

So why is 100m not enough for him where the poor live, if the objective is not to forcefully, and arrogantly, appropriate the lands and homes of the poor?

I know that this decision will, and should, not stand because the President is a compassionate leader who has demonstrated this again and again. Minister Umahi should build his coastal road but he should not appropriate the land of the poor. We will never stop shouting about this, and soon enough, he may be receiving summons from the courts, if he does not change his mind on the issue.

When Ashiwaju Tinubu built the Eko Atlantic, the precursor to the present coastal road, not a single citizen lost a single centimeter of shoreline land. Rather, the Atlantic was tamed, and all that was stolen by the sea for over 100years were recovered.

One can only hope that this is not a coy attempt to turn coastal Yorubas against President Tinubu , especially in Lagos state. To deprive ordinary citizens of their ancentral land, in what looks like a twentieth century land grab can, definitely, not be the President’s intent in conceiving this masterpiece of a road. The Minister, should kindly release the lands of the people of the Lafiaji( Oceanbay) beach, the Alpha Beech, the Okun Ajah beach, the Iwerekun coastal areas etc.

He needs 100m for the road and that he will have!”

I believe there are enough facts here for the minister to ponder afresh and make necessary adjustments as the Tinubu government is known to have done in instances where Nigerians have voiced objections. It is statesmanship, not weakness. (The Nation)

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