The political ecosystem is already astir on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, with the circumstances surrounding its award. Adherence to due process has been raised by some critics, causing waffling in official quarters. The point has to be made: the project did not go through a competitive bidding process, which is imperative for such a huge venture, in line with the 2007 Public Procurement Act, as enunciated in Section 16 (1) (1) and (d), to create transparency, accountability and value for money.

As the minister admitted, the award sidestepped the public tender competitive bidding process. This raises the question of how the cost was arrived at.

-Was it a favour to a friend of the administration?

-Or is the government bidding farewell to the transparency and accountability of public tender and the competitive bidding process?

-In addition, why was the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) phase of the project not done before work began?

We know this through a letter dated 18th April that emanated from the Ministry of Works, soliciting residents living in the Section 1 and 11 areas of the highway in Lagos, to attend a workshop organised for a scoping study that will generate this all-important data, after the project implementation had commenced.

This action, the letter reads in part, will “ensure that the project is developed in a responsible and sustainable manner, in line with regulations in Nigeria as well as international standards and frameworks.” No, this is sophistry! The country’s statute and global best practices do not uphold putting the cart before the horse in the award of a contract, as the ministry’s letter exemplifies. The ESIA precedes any contract.

How the project will be financed is still mired in obfuscation. On 23 September 2023, Umahi disclosed that Hitech – the construction company for the work, would fund the project, precisely under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

However, in a volte-face recently, he said that the government will provide 50 per cent counterpart funding, in an Engineering, Procurement, Construction plus Finance (EPC+F) model. This fiscal decision is not cast in stone yet, as he revealed that discussions were ongoing for a possible reduction to 30 per cent of government funding.

It beats our imagination that the federal government will undertake the construction of these projects at a time that the country’s finances are heading south; and in the face of the dilapidated state of thousands of kilometres of existing highways, which are death-traps.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/691629-editorial-a-coastal-highway-of-misplaced-priority-and-due-process-abuse.html

Good project if done with good intentions. However it is obvious there is no any goodwill behind this project but a monumental corruption in disguise. History will prove who was right or wrong. Time will tell.

anonymous1759:
Game changer highway Ask OBIDIENTs they know that’s why they’re angry 😡. their bitterness can’t stop BAT from becoming president. People of south south know who their real enemies are right now.

ElevationD:


Game changer? Really?
Has it changed the insecurity situation?
Has it changed the poverty, misery and hardship situation?
Has it changed the price of foodstuff to what the citizens, including you, can afford?

ElevationD:


Game changer? Really?
Has it changed the insecurity situation?
Has it changed the poverty, misery and hardship situation?
Has it changed the price of foodstuff to what the citizens, including you, can afford?

anonymous1759:


Get outta my mention you’ve nothing reasonable to say . When Buhari built the second Niger bridge did it add anything to your life ?

Sonyboom:
Don't mind them Mr Senseless as there was no insecurity poverty misery n hardship in Nigeria before Tinubu became president.

You'd probably think all Nigerians have been eating hopeless obirodent ipob tears like yours since we can not afford food.

The foolish ringing the the head of many of you obidient ipob senior that of lunatics I swear