The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi has stated that Landmark Africa has no claim to the 250-metre shoreline, which is part of the Right-of-Way for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway being built by the Federal Government.
He stated this during the demolition of properties at the beachfront of the Landmark Resort, where he accused the owners of the properties of playing politics and pandering to public sentiments.
Sen. Umahi stated that the Federal Government made efforts to spare the properties of the company, noting that the core of the facility was spared.
- He said, “No claim for Landmark. He has no claim. We spared all his infrastructure; we don’t pay for shanties. The shanties are on our Right-of-Way which is 250 meters from the shoreline. So, he has no claim.”
- “We made all the efforts to spare all his infrastructure and that is why I say he is a politician while I’m an engineer. I don’t know the attention he is seeking.”
Backstory
The over 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has generated heated debates over its cost, possibility of completion, and the destruction of properties and businesses along its Right-of-Way. The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has described it as a white elephant project and called on the Federal Government to use the funds to repair abandoned projects littered across the country.
Also, former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has described the project as fraudulent considering the cost and funding model.
The CEO of Landmark, Paul Onwuanibe, had earlier called on the Federal Government to re-route the coastal road project, stating that demolishing the property would lead to job losses and closure of over 80 businesses that operate in the resort and an estimated loss of about 12,000 direct and indirect jobs.
