The Federal Government has appealed to Nigerians displaced and inconvenienced by the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway construction to be patient and tolerant, assuring them that the project would have enormous benefits.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, made the appeal during a tour of some sections of the project on Thursday.
Kesha was in company with some members of the Nigeria Society of Engineers.
According to Kesha, the benefits of the road project far outweigh the current pain and inconveniences.
Kesha said: “That is why we are appealing to residents of these areas to show understanding with the Federal Government.
“There is no how we will do a project of this magnitude and some people will not be inconvenienced.
“Our appeal is that they should please bear with the Federal Government. They should have the larger picture in mind.
“We empathise with them because we know it is not easy to lose one’s personal belonging, especially accommodation.
She said that the project was initially planned on a larger scale, which would have resulted in displacement and inconvenience to more people.
Kesha said that the government, however, recognised the potential enormous consequences and reduced the project’s scope to minimise the impact on individuals and communities.
“We saw that the loss would be huge, we came back to the drawing board and reduced it to 60 per cent, and we still came back and reduced it to 50.
“Our president said it is to minimise the inconvenience and losses on persons and communities.
“This government is a listening one, this government is people-oriented,’’ she said.
The controller acknowledged the challenges of implementing a large-scale project, particularly in terms of managing budgets and meeting everyone’s expectations.
She said that the Federal Government had done much in compensating the affected persons.
“ I agree with the fact that it is impossible to please everybody, and if some persons feel we have not done enough, we are really sorry. It is not intentional.”
The controller emphasised the importance of community engagement in the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project implementation.
According to her, the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has been personally engaging affected communities through regular meetings, open dialogues and addressing concerns directly.
According to her, the minister’s approach has fostered trust and cooperation, enabling the project to progress smoothly.
She added that the continuous engagement would ensure that the project’s impact on the community would minimised and the benefits maximised.
Kesha highlighted the potential tourism benefits of the coastal highway project, saying that it would improve infrastructure and accessibility of the coastline.
She said that development of relaxation centres, fuel stations and picnic areas were a part of the project and would enhance tourism experience.
Kesha added that the project would facilitate marine activities such as boating and fishing.
The 700km highway will start from Victoria Island in Lagos State and end in Calabar, Cross River.
The highway will pass through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states before ending in Cross River.
