Nigerian Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi has responded to the former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku’s viewpoints on Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project, described it as false analogies, which clearly superficial, hypocritical, diversionary, and undoubtedly motivated by ambitious political calculations.
In a statement released from the office of the Minister’s aide on Tuesday while reacting to Atiku, the 2023 People’s Democratic Party Presidential Candidate over the intentions and procurement processes that led to the award of Sections one of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project by the Renewed Hope of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The former Vice President had, on 7th April 2024, criticized the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project award and cost, which he fallaciously stated was awarded to Hitech without due process and at a cost higher than the initial amount announced by the immediate two previous administrations that attempted to execute the project.
Also, on the 6th of May 2024, the event ex-Vice President, Atiku criticized the FG’s bold and visionary decision to embark on a developmental journey that would redefine the economic growth trajectory of Nigeria, by raising two issues.
Firstly, that the contract was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Limited because of personal relationship between the President and the Chairman of Hitech, Chagoury, and that the demolition exercise was done in a hurry and thus a threat to foreign investment.
Umahi explained that these accusations or rather, viewpoints, are, to say the least, intrinsically superficial, baseless, self-serving and politically motivated to imprint malice in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public, especially the gullible.
Adding that the Minister has in different media fora decapitated the insinuations of former Vice President and other desperate persons when he gave insights into award process, the unit cost comparisons, project review dimensions, the demolition notices and compensation plans as well as those affected by the demolition.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway project complied 100% with the provisions of Procurement Act and was awarded based on the EPC+ F procurement process, that is to say, the project is an unsolicited bid done on EPC+F.
While explaining further, he said, “Under this model of procurement, the investor provides all the designs, part of financing and construction, while the FGN pays counterpart funds. The bid of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project came through this process.
“The Ministry received the bid, worked on it, and sent the same to the Bureau of Public Procurement ( BPP). The BPP worked on it in accordance with the stipulations of the Procurement Act, came up with competitive price slightly lower than the Ministry’s price, even lower than the cost of similar projects awarded five years ago.
“Including the Bodo-Bonny project awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. The BPP issued a certificate of “No Objection” on the project to the Federal Ministry of Works as required by the Procurement Act.
Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Works took the certificate of “No Objection” to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and the FEC deliberated on and approved the same.
It would be recalled that the FEC had first approved the project model on EPC+F before the process of procurement even started. This is a testament that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, section 1, followed due process.
He pressed further that the claim of the former Vice President that the son of the President of Nigeria has interest in CDK Integrated Industries Ltd is not tenable as the company that did bid for the project was Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Ltd which has a full legal personality, as it were.
“Again, this claims is nothing but a digression showing absolute frustration of a false accuser who is bereaved of facts to substantiate his claims. On the cost of award of the project and even other projects under Engr. Dr. Nweze David Umahi, it is of public notice and a sort of judicial notice.
“Umahi is second to none in the history of the Federal Ministry of Works in effectively negotiating costs of projects, and he does that with the deepest sense of patriotism. The Minister of Works, has within shortest period in office, saved billions of Naira in the review, redesign and award of contracts.
“The former Vice President and others who share in his misguided views can honestly testify to this indisputable fact. In the case under review, the Minister had come up with a new and higher dimension of the project of which the design, dimension and concept were reviewed upward by the Ministry and yet the cost was drastically reduced downwards.
“The project, which was by the analysis of the former Vice President put at a cost of about N8.552 billion per km of standard gauge, was meticulously and judiciously reduced to about like N4.329 billion per kilometer gauge by the Minister under the new design and concept.
“The old concept and design relied upon by the former Vice President has a 52-metre corridor with asphalt, whereas the new concept as reviewed by the Minister of Works has a 100-metre corridor with a total concrete pavement of 59.2 metres and increased size of 10 lanes and a provision for 25 metres for train track.
*As you know, the road standard used by the former Vice President in his analysis can not stand the test of time because of the high water table at the coastal area. The quality of road design and construction by Renewed Hope administration for the coastal road is such that it will last for 50 to 100 years”.
In this regard therefore, he said it will not be immodest to state that the ex-Vice President displayed the highest level of hypocrisy and was out to mislead, brainwash unsuspecting members of the public, especially the gullible, for selfish political reasons.
“Further to the issue of due process raised by concerned environmentalists and with the greatest respect to the concerns of Laila Johnson-Salami, there was a preliminary approval issued in December 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Environment and the same renewed in January 2024.
“As you know, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ( ESIA) certification is progressive with the project’s progress and final certificate issued when all issues are resolved. This means that the Federal Ministry of Works has a certified ESIA to start the project.
“Even the Federal Ministry of Environment has confirmed this position in their recent press release, whereof they stated, among others, that Preliminary Impact Assessment certification was issued for site clearance and scopping for compensation.
“The Federal Ministry of Works has redesigned the route to put human face to the decision to embark on the project and to minimize demolition of permanent structures. The route, as it were, targets the demolition of mainly shanties and this demonstrates the human face in action of the Renewed Hope administration.
“The process of ESIA involves constant stakeholders’ engagement, of which many have taken place, and the Minister of Works has even participated in two of the meetings in Lagos which were broadcast live to buttress his sense of transparency, openness, probity and accountability.
“Which are the tenets of the present administration. Compensation is ongoing and those whose properties were affected appreciated the human face shown by the Honourable Minister of Works and they offered to make sacrifice as their contribution for the nation’s economic advancement.
“It need not be overemphasized that the relevant notices were issued and this led to a seamless compensation process achieved without rancor, except in the case of owner of Landmark whose psyche was manipulated by politicians moments after he appreciated efforts of the Minister in ensuring minimum damage to properties on the right of way for which he acknowledged that he had no valid title in favour thereof.”
He reiterated that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a historic project and Africa’s biggest super highway that is expected to be a major catalyst of Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation.
Umahi said, “Although it was conceptualized partly at the time His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was the Vice President of this country, successive administrations failed to execute it because of lack of political will.
“The Renewed Hope administration, being private sector and FDI friendly, saw the need to execute the project and on time through ECP+ F model of funding.
“Again, this project was appropriated by the 10th National Assembly and extra-ordinary funding, as permitted by law, was required to execute the project, hence the ECP+ F Hitech contract. This is a legislative practice that is well known and very consistent with the Constitution of Nigeria 199 as Amended.
He added, “This super highway will trigger economic boom, raise the GDP, create greater tourism potentials, create wealth and job opportunities, attract wider Foreign Direct Investment, boost coastal businesses, trade and market development.
“And promote industrialization, especially along the coastal corridors with far reaching impact on the social-economic activities and safety along the feeder routes and spurs. Nigeria will be a great country when the 10-lane super highway of 700 kilometres with a train track is completed.
“As for the speed and quality of work, you can always trust the track records of the President of Nigeria and his Honourable Minister of Works in service delivery. I hope this matter will be laid to final rest by all critics”, he said.
The Minister’s aide stated further that for those who are pessimistic and those who seek to malign the Minister, who described him as a “miserable FEDERALIST AND ONE OF THOSE WHO CLAIM TO LOVE NIGERIA AT THEIR OWN PERIL” particularly as verbosely captured in the publication made in the Daily Sun of 6th May 2024 by one columnist and perhaps a separatist agitatator, Amanze Obi, the Honourable Minister is passionate about restoring the confidence of Nigerians in the utility value of road infrastructure nationwide.
“Umahi has no business with their political permutations of the future and he has not castigated anyone or anyone’s opinion in the course of discharging his mandate as the Minister of Works, the Federal Republic, except that he needed to put issues in their proper perspective as regards the concerns raised by politicians on Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway project.
“Of note is the fact that he has a good personal relationship with his brother, His Excellency, Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi, and this is mutually respected by each of the two. If Amanze Obi has chosen to be a bigot, as insinuated in his ill-mannered.
“And erratic publication, the Minister of Works believes in one Nigeria where there is love, fairness and equal opportunities, and where every citizen must work for the unity and progress of the country with a deep sense of patriotism and truth.
“Umahi is unwavering in his passion and commitment to Nigeria’s road infrastructure revolution and he is ahead of the detractors who do not see anything good in having a country, we can all be proud of.
“As a nation-builder, he is committed to reflecting the ideals of these aspirations in all his private and public dealing irrespective of the person’s religion, tribe, tongue or political affiliation”, he said.