Lagos-Calabar Highway: Umahi Promises Compensation Transparency as Budget Rises to N18bn

Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has revealed a significant increase in the government’s compensation budget for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project from 8 billion naira to 18 billion naira.

Umahi said this during a stakeholder engagement meeting on Sunday, November 3, at the Orchid Hall, Eko Hotel, which brought together government officials, National Assembly members, and key project stakeholders.

He said the increase underscores the administration’s commitment to transparency and fair treatment for affected communities.

“What the federal executive council approved as recommended by PPP was 8 billion (naira) on this corridor. Just section 1 alone.

But today, we are hitting 18 billion (naira).“Also, in a bid to foster public trust, Umahi pledged that all compensation details, including property valuations, would be publicly disclosed. “And we’re going to publish it for everybody to see. The name, the picture, the dimensions, and the cost. We are bound by the advice of the professionals that we engaged.

I am so excited with the level of competence of ESIA and the numerators.” Umahi stated.

This level of transparency, he said, aims to assure affected property owners and the public that compensation allocations are both fair and equitable.The minister also assured stakeholders that the compensation would be distributed promptly, with a commitment to complete the process within the next 10 days.

“Fifty percent of this enumeration is being paid and I’ve directed Kesha, we’re not going to be waiting to go to fedreral executive ecouncil because the interest of the people are involved. If we are passing, they must also be able to have their money to relocate. Within the next ten days, we must complete 100 percent of the payment as enumerated by our enumerators.

”He also called on all stakeholders to disregard claims or pushed agenda by “mischief maker,” pledging that the transparency of the process would quieten them.“There are mischief makers out there, but by the time we start to publish these things, some people will have to keep quiet.”

Chioma Kalu

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