- Safiu Kehinde
The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has on Sunday demanded more financial support from the Lagos State Government for the continuation of the state’s section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
While commending the state governor for its previous support of the Federal Government’s infrastructure development in the commercial city, Umahi also urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to provide more support as the FG would begin construction of the service lane of the highway.
The minister made the plea while speaking at a stakeholder engagement on the coastal highway and some other projects in the state.
According to reports that the decision to construct service lanes and secondary drainage channels on Sections 1 and 2 of the highway project was prompted by recent heavy rainfalls and flooding experienced in Lagos.
”You have to bring money, Governor, to do the service lanes, and also to do the drainage channels. We must join hands to solve this problem for the sake of our people,” he said.
Umahi said that Lot 1 of the coastal highway had been completed and Lot 2, over 80 per cent done.
“We have done over 30 per cent of the job in Calabar and Akwa Ibom. We have started the largest section, 180km by two,” he said.
He gave the assurance that the highway project would be completed in time.
” We want everybody on this corridor, the entire Nigerians that are benefitting and will benefit from this coastal highway construction to continue to pray for and support the President.”
Umahi expressed dissatisfaction at the attitude of unpatriotic Nigerians vandalising national assets.
“It is very disheartening. The effort they are putting to destroy national assets, if they put it in labour in all construction sites of state governments and the Federal Government, they will make more money.
“It is devilish, wickedness and unacceptable; so, we have to come together to protect our national assets.
“When these roads are built under the President, it will last for a hundred years but when the roads are excavated and removed, we will be back to square one,” he said.