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By Daniel Adaji
President Bola Tinubu has approved a 100-kilometre stretch of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to pass through Edo State.
This was contained in a statement late Thursday by Orji Uchenna Orji, Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works.
The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, disclosed this during the Edo State Independence Gala Night at the State Villa, Benin City, on October 1. The stretch, he explained, was not part of the original alignment of the coastal highway project.
“The coastal road was first dreamt by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 47 years back. He contacted Governors who were in office with him, but unfortunately, the project could not take off. But then, the route was made known, but unfortunately, the route did not pass through Edo State, very sad,” Umahi said.
“And when you hear 700 kilometres, and today you hear 750 kilometres, you ask yourself where is the difference coming from, the difference is coming from here because a miracle Governor appeared on the State.l,” added.
He noted that the President had personally directed that the road should cut across Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
“The President called me and said, ‘this project must pass from Lagos to Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and to Cross River. And that is why we are here. Your Excellency, the President has given you 100 kilometres by 2 of the coastal highway,’” Umahi said.
The minister commended Edo’s government and people for supporting the Renewed Hope agenda, promising that inherited projects in the state would be delivered despite “frightening infrastructural and funding deficits” left by past administrations.
He also praised Governor Monday Okpebholo for agreeing to intervene on failing sections of the Benin-Sapele-Warri road, describing it as a “deathtrap to motorists.”
He further lauded the contractor CBC for its performance. “So I want to thank you very very highly, Your Excellency, for this intervention, and I want to thank CBC for a very good quality work we have seen, but, re-mobilise to this place, and the controller must be giving me photographs of work done everyday and we have to do more work at night,” Umahi said.
Responding, Governor Okpebholo thanked the President for the inclusion of Edo State in the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, which he said reflected “the extraordinary love of the President to the people of Edo State.”
He also noted improvements on federal roads in the state since the beginning of Tinubu’s administration and called on Edo people to rally behind the President’s re-election in 2027.
“Few days ago, I came to this axis on my way back, and what I saw almost made me weap. Knowing the number of vehicles that were on this road, trailers that fell, and I felt it shouldn’t be so. The President is trying, and whoever is criticizing the President doesn’t know what they’re doing. However, criticism is also good because it serves as a wake-up call for all of us,” the Governor said.
He explained why he invited the minister for an inspection of the Benin-Sapele-Warri corridor.
“I invited you because of this road; it’s terribly bad. If I do my part and you do your part, no one will criticize our President. That’s the main reason I called you here. Our people are crying out for this road to be fixed.
“For us to earn more votes, we need to do something about this place, whether it’s the Federal Government or Edo State. The Benin people use this road the most, and they can’t come out and go to work or come back from work without struggling. That’s why we need to fix this road so that it will be motorable. This is the essence of inviting you here,” he said.