The ongoing construction of Nigeria’s first coastal highway under severe criticism by opposition politician has gained traction of the oil rich Niger Delta states and pro-democracy group, The Democratic Front (TDF).
The Democratic Front (TDF) on Tuesday in Abuja commended the governors of Rivers, Cross Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom states in the South South (Niger Delta) region for their support for the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The 700 kilometres legacy highway, designed to transverse all the Niger Delta coastal states, is 70 percent contractor finance and with 30 percent counterpart funding by the federal government.
TDF noted that the support for the project in spite of the fact that the majority of the governors have a political affiliation, which is different from that of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who sees the project as economic stimulator.
A statement jointly signed TDF’s Chairman, Mr Danjuma Mohammed and the Secretary, Mr Wale Adedayo, argued that the recent show of support for the initiative was an indication that the South South governors are pro-development
“It’s our joy, as stakeholders and watchdogs of Nigeria’s democratic process, to appreciate the patriotic action jointly displayed by governors from the South South geo-political zone under the aegis of the BRACED Commission on the ongoing construction of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“Their action in endorsing the project is significantly remarkable in view of the fact that the governors, with the exception of one of them, are members of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the same political party as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who continue to make uncharitable and uncomplimentary comments about the coastal highway in recent times.
“The positions being canvassed by the former Vice President and his co-traveller, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, we view as unpatriotic, myopic, and selfish.as patent antagonists to the laudable project smacks of morbid perfidy to demean the genuine efforts of President Bola Tinubu to open up the coastal region.
“The huge and inexcusably appalling deficit in Nigeria’s infrastructural development has been of major concern to well-meaning citizens and many economic experts.
“It is also a statement of fact that the dilapidation and collapse of critical infrastructure in the country has led to a high level of unemployment, poverty, disease, and other uncontrollable social vices that have impeded the growth of the nation in the last 45 years. These things are of common knowledge that should not be lost on anyone wishing to aspire to the presidency.
“It is therefore incomprehensible that a former Vice President and a former state governor, who were on record to have canvassed for votes in the last presidential elections, with a strong promise to deliver infrastructural development if elected, would dramatically take an uninformed and incoherent position against a project of immense socio-economic potentials and infrastructural benefits to Nigeria, like the ongoing Coastal Highway.
“By their unguided utterances and uninformed analysis on the project, both men, due to myopic political reasons, have exhibited personal prejudices against the determination of President Tinubu to improve the deplorable economic condition of the people of the Niger Delta region.
“And more disturbing is the fact that their misguided position on the coastal project suggests a hidden agenda that could see them twarth the effort by any means possible.
“What are they really afraid of? These anti-development and anti people posture is beyond any reasonable expectation. Because they would not envision such a lofty project, talk less of embarking on it does not stop and can not stop this project.
“If anything, we believe that the South-South Governors have proven, by their support for the Tinubu project, that they are not as self-centered, vision less, and unpatriotic as the two 2023 presidential flag bearers.
“The Democratic Front is of the view that the South-South geopolitical zone deserves the current level of economic and infrastructural priority accorded it by the Tinubu administration, as a result of its significant contributions to the economy of Nigeria.
“We therefore call on the governors to withdraw political support for Atiku Abubakar, especially, on the basis of his continuous opposition to the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.”
TDF noted that the Highway as well as the approval for the Sokoto-Badagry Highway were clear manifestation of the administration’s determination to open up the Nigerian space for multiple economic opportunities through multi-modal transportation system.
