Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has faulted the Lagos-Calabar Highway project by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
In his view, the N15.6 trillion project upon completion is corrupt and wasteful.
He also described the building of the Vice President’s official residence at N21 billion as wasteful.
The former president of Nigeria uncovered this in chapter six of his latest book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future,’ noting that Nigerian rulers take office largely to plunder and enrich themselves.
He noted: ”Everything is said to be transactional, and the slogan is ‘It is my turn to chop.’
“Typical examples of waste, corruption, and misplaced priorities are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, on which the President had turned a deaf ear to protests, and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship to showcase the administration hitting the ground running and to show the importance of the office of the Vice-President. What small minds!”
On their own side, President Tinubu spokesperson Bayo Onanuga keeps mum on Obasanjo’s fresh attack on his leader.
Ponder that Lagos-Calabar Highway and the new Vice President’s residence buildings garnered fierce controversy within the Nigerian citizens.
Peoples Democratic Party Presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, had also been concerned about the project and recommended its suspension.
However, Tinubu’s regime was justifying the projects.
Dave Umahi, the Work Minister, had previously defended the project.
He recently said 30 of the 70 kilometers of Phase 1, Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Highway would be completed by May 2025.
The construction of the Lagos-Calabar Highway began last March.
