By Sabiu Abdullahi
Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has launched scathing criticism against the handling of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, labelling it a “highway to fraud” and a “wasteful endeavour.”
Expressing his concerns, Atiku asserted that the project’s award did not adhere to the minimum threshold of due process.
He particularly targeted Works Minister, Dave Umahi, for his handling of the situation, citing discrepancies in cost estimates and contractual procedures.
Umahi’s revelation that the project would tentatively cost N15.6 trillion ($13 billion) raised eyebrows for Atiku, who stated that the figure exceeded the total budget of all 36 states of the federation combined.
He denounced the lack of clarity regarding the level of counterpart funding from the federal government, highlighting the ambiguity surrounding the project’s financing.
Atiku also questioned the alteration of the project plan after the contract was awarded to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without competitive bidding.
He accused Umahi of deceit, citing contradictory statements regarding the project’s funding model and the selection of Hitech as the contractor.
Moreover, Atiku criticised the National Assembly for approving a mere N500 million for the project in the 2024 budget, contrasting it with the reported release of N1.06 trillion by the Tinubu administration, suggesting a significant discrepancy.
Stating the omission of the railway component’s cost from Umahi’s announcement, Atiku raised concerns about the overall project expenditure, urging transparency and accountability.
Your reaction