The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2027 election, Donald Duke, has criticised the Federal Government’s Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE TV, the former Cross River State governor argued that the country should channel its resources into more pressing sectors, including electricity, healthcare and education, rather than investing in the multi-trillion-naira road project.
“Some of our expenditures just don’t make sense. Take, for instance, the Lagos-Calabar Highway. I know the country can’t afford it. You can’t build the road on a coast to Calabar. You can’t even go through Bayelsa, whose capital, Yenagoa, is swamped,” Duke said.
He questioned the need for a new high way, pointing out that an existing road already links Lagos and Calabar.
“There is already a road to Calabar. I have driven from Lagos to Calabar about seven times. If the road is poor, fix it. I don’t think that road will be beyond Epe,” he said.
He further suggested that rehabilitation of the current route would be a more practical use of public funds.
According to him, the enormous financial commitment to the project would be better utilised in addressing the country’s challenges in power supply, healthcare and education.
“There are some expenditures we make that do not reflect the reality of our circumstance. You have got to prioritise and focus on what is required.
“The amount spent on that road could be better spent providing electricity and improving the health system. The school system is also barely funded. Focus on priorities. Recalibrate your revenue system,” he said.