Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway: A Renowned Policy Analyst Describes Cost of Project as One of The Most Effective Project Figures in The World, Says Sen. Umahi's Negotiation Power is Second to None Blueprint Newspaper Written By Bode Olagoke A think tank body of policy analysts on the platform of the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) Wednesday justified the N2.8trn to be expended on the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway. The group said the cost of construction of the highway "is appropriate." It also faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's criticism of the project, saying there is enough proof to support the cost of the mega project. IMPI in a statement by its chairman, Niyi Akinsiju, in Abuja Wednesday said its study of the situation shows that all the claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate were off the mark and targeted at discrediting the project. The think tank group acknowledged the track record of the project handling firm in constructing coastal highways with reinforced concrete in many countries, citing the successful handling of the Bar Beach Shoreline protection. On Atiku's criticism of the cost of the project, the policy group insisted that a cost analysis of road projects similar to the Lagos-Calabar highway in some parts of the world show that the cost of the project was appropriate. The statement reads: "We note that there is no unified standard pricing template for the cost of building a kilometre of road anywhere in the world. The realities of road building have much to do with several variables: location, train, type of construction, number of terrain, lanes, lane width, surface durability, and the number of bridges, to name a few. "Yet, for engagement, we reviewed some cost estimates in some other countries to establish the context of fraud or otherwise that Waziri Abubakar is trying to throw up. "To build a 2-lane road of 12 metres wide of each lane with no bridges in states of North Eastern United States of America is $3.34m per km (when converted to Naira using the N1200/$ adopted by Umahi, it comes to N4.08bn per km) while the same 2-lane road in South Eastern USA with no bridges is $ 3.78m per km (N4.53bn per km) "According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the average cost of building a concrete road in rural areas is around $2.5m per mile, while in urban areas, it can costs upwards of $5m per mile. "In California, the estimated cost of building a concrete road ranges from $3 million to $6 million per mile, depending on the location and other factors. In Australia, average road project costs were around $5.1m (N6.12bn) per lane kilometre in 2017. "But in Bangladesh, according to the World Bank, the estimated cost of construction is $6.6m (N7.92bn) per kilometre for the Rangpur-Hatikumrul highway, $7m (N8.4bn) per kilometre for Dhaka-Sylhet highway, $11.9 million (N14.28 billion) per kilometre for Dhaka-Mawa highway. This underscores cost differentials in road construction because of peculiarities in terrains."   ...

Honourable Minister of Works Inaugurates Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Section 1 Compensation  Committee, Gives 10 Days Deadline  For Completion Of Assignment   1. In keeping with the established rules on compensation and the ideals of transparency of  the Renewed Hope administration of His Excellency, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the Honourable  Minister  of Works, His Excellency Sen Engr Nweze David Umahi CON has constituted a committee  to review the  report on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment in respect  of compensation for section 1, Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway project. The committee  made up of 19 members is required  to interface with stakeholders  and property owners that will  be affected by  the project with a view to recommending  those who are entitled to receive compensation from Federal Government  as required  by law.  The Honourable  Minister   directed  that the commitee should  work strictly  with the terms of reference, which is to verify  and authenticate the list of those to be compensated and submit a report within 10 days effective 18th April 2024. He said, "We are setting up a review committee to look at the work done by the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA,) and the works to be reviewed by this committee is very simple, and it's just to interact with the property owners that are going to be affected, and then in their presence, in the presence of the committee and the ESIA Consultant and the contractor, look at the compensation as enumerated to be paid, and where possible, you visit the site. We are using the federal rates to do our enumeration. I know very well that there is nobody that is ever enumerated that is ever satisfied with how much  is to be paid, but we are bound by the law, and so we are using federal rates." 2. The Honourable Minister  promised to ensure a seemless  and  timely  payment  of compensation on the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway  project but warned that only those  legally  entitled  to compensation  would  be shortlisted. He said, "The moment the property owner signs, and then we have a form that we give to them to fill, and indicate the bank account; the moment that is done, within 72 hours, we authorize payment. The contractor is going to be paying directly to all those who are affected, and this we are committed to doing. This verification will  start Wednesday in Lagos, and of course, we have to make it very clear that 250 meters legally belong to the Federal Government. So if you have a title within these 250 meters and it's not a title from Federal Government, then it is encumbrance, and only Mr. President can give a waiver if he feels so for the person to be paid." 3. The meeting  which was held via zoom  in the Honourable Minister's conference  hall Mabushi-Abuja with the affected property  owners and other stakeholders, was in furtherance  of the resolutions earlier  reached in the stakeholders engagement  meeting held by the  Honourable Minister of Works  in Lagos on  11th April 2024 whereof opinions were ventilated from different  groups of stakeholders and decisions  were reached on the need for a review  of the report  on  the enumeration by the Consultant on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment  of the affected  areas. The committee members were constituted to reflect  the different  groups  of stakeholders,  including  Lagos State Government,  affected  Local Government  Areas  Traditional Rulers, estate developers  and residents, as well as professional  bodies. 4. The committee  members  are as follows:  1. Engr (Mrs) Olukorede Kesha (FCW, Lagos State)    -  Chairman 2. Rep. of Director, Bridges and Design.  -  Engr Oladele Sola 3. Rep of Honourable Minister of Works.  -  Barrister Joseph Ekumankama 4. Engr Olufemi Dare.  -   FMW, Lagos 5. ESIA Consultant.  -  Dr. Eugene Itua 6. Rep 1 ESIA.  -  Suv. Popoola Lateef 7. Rep 2 ESIA.   -   Emmanuel Eneh 8. Rep. of Oba Oniru.  -  Mr. Yemi Stephen. 9. Rep. of Oba Elegushi.  -   Mrs. Peju Omotayo 10. Rep. of Oba Ojomu of Ajiran land.  - Hon. Jide Akintoye 11. Rep of Oba Onibeju of Ibeju  -  Mr Agbaje Adesegun 12. Rep. of Eti Osa Local Government.   -   Adeola Adetoro 13. Rep. of Ibeju Lekki Local Government.  -  Hon. Moruf Isah 14. Olawale Ojikutu (Min of Lands, LASG)  -  Secretary 15. Rep. Of LASG Surveyor General.  -  Moyosore Faji 16. Rep. Min of Physical Planning LASG. - Kunle Bello 17. Rep 1 Hitech.     -       Mr. Willie 18. Rep 2 Hitech.     -      Mr. Ashton 19. Rep DLS.    -    Mrs Igboko   ...

ARMED FORCES FULLY BACKING THE RENEWED HOPE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES, DESCRIBE ROAD AS CRITICAL TO NATIONAL SECURITY AND AS A CATALYST FOR SUCCESSFUL MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST BANDITRY The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON has been assured of the full backing of the Nigerian military in his efforts towards realizing the lofty road infrastructure objectives of the Renewed Hope administration of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. This assurance was conveyed by the Chief of Defence Staff, Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, OFR during a courtesy call to the Honourable Minister of Works, held at the Ministry's conference hall, Mabushi-Abuja on 16th April 2024. Speaking during the courtesy call the Defence Chief commended the glaring determination of the Honourable Minister of Works to return Nigeria's road infrastructure to the part of glory knowing the importance of road to the socio-economic transformation of the nation. He placed on record the strategic importance of road to national security and its place in achieving successful military operations against acts of banditry. He said, "We are following your activities on the internet, and we know you're almost everywhere. I want to commend you for the efforts you are putting in. We know how determined you are to ensure that our roads are back. We all know that without roads, there can be no peace. That's true for rural areas and urban areas. Roads are significant and very important to the growth of any nation. Despite all the challenges, we’ve seen how comments have been made, both professionally and unprofessionally, to your person, but you’ve been strong. I want to encourage you, sir that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is solidly behind you. We will continue to provide every necessary support that you require. We are just a phone call away. Whatever there is, that you would want us to do for you, be rest assured, we will be there, because we know the relevance and importance of having good roads in any society." The Chief of Defence Staff also appealed to the Honourable Minister to take into consideration the need for interventions on the deplorable condition of some roads in the North East where bandits are taking advantage of the poor conditions of roads in the area to defy and relegate security operations. He noted that the areas where the military were recording high casualties of both manpower and equipment, especially in Maiduguri, were the areas the bandits use Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in their attacks knowing fully well the deplorable conditions of the roads in those areas. He said, "So for us, roads are critical to our success in our operations. I want to appeal to you, whatever it is, whatever it takes, if we can fix most of these roads that we have, it will greatly assist us in carrying out our operations. Once we have good roads, the funny thing about North East, especially Borno State, will be resolutely tackled. Most of the distances are not that long." In his response, the Honourable Minister of Works thanked the Defence Chief for the wonderful work the Armed Forces are doing to rejig the security architecture and rid the nation of banditry. He particularly thanked Mr. President who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for the successes he has recorded in the fight against banditry in Nigeria. He said that the military deserves the cooperation, support, and solidarity of all Nigerians in their efforts and sacrifices to secure the citizenry. He decried the recent brutal killing of the military personnel in Okuama Delta State and thanked the military for their sense of maturity in the face of the needless provocation. "Let me offer my deepest condolences to you for your personnel that were brutally murdered at Okuama in Delta State while doing everything to ensure peace and security in the area. It's quite very unfortunate. Let me thank Mr. President for the maturity and thank the military led by you for the maturity. Those personnel who were killed are children of parents. They have children, and they have wives. Our hearts go out to you and their families, and we condemn that very terrible and barbaric act. We caution those who are making very unhealthy statements on the matter, as if the lives that were lost were the lives of animals" The Honourable Minister assured the Defence Chief of the preparedness of the Ministry in addressing the concerns of the military on the conditions of roads, especially in the areas of their operations in the North East. He said, "Let me appreciate your concerns over our roads, especially as it affects your programmes in North East. And let me assure you that when we get those routes and your major concerns, we are going to analyze them to know the ongoing projects among them, and then know why the projects are slow in their execution. It could be for the reason of funding. Everything has become a priority in our road sector development. We would like to analyze it and together we will take it to Mr. President, who has put the security of life and property ahead of any other thing." He further said, "I'm very sure that Mr. President, as usual, will give it the desired attention. It's not his will that any person will die for the reason of a bad road. So I'm reassured by the character and the content of Mr. President that something will be done. We have to get our designs and figures right, and together, we can do that."   ...