Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has confirmed August 2024 as the start date for the Construction of Section 3A of the proposed Lagos – Calabar Coastal Road.
Senator Umahi made the announcement during a stakeholders meeting on the proposed alignment for section 3A- 38km of the coastal road project in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
Umahi told stakeholders that plans to simultaneously kick off the construction of sections of the road in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States were concluded, assuring of the preparedness to commence procurement with immediate effect.
He said, “we are very sure that in the month of August, construction will start in this state. I will not allow construction to start only from Akwa Ibom, but will ensure that construction starts in three sections two in Cross River and one in Akwa Ibom.”
Speaking further, the Minister explained that the “project is going to have a rail track, we started with the tracks in the middle of the road at Section Two. But, we had to redesigned it to have the tracks by the side rather.”
He urged stakeholders, who turned out in their numbers, to support the construction process when work commences to avoid unnecessary delays.
In a brief remark, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Peter Odey, assured the minister of maximum cooperation devoid of hitches, setbacks or obstruction.
Odey promised that the Cross River State government was ready to begin payment of compensation to affected property and land owners along the Calabar-Itu road, also pledging to partner with the federal ministry for successful execution of the project.
The stakeholders including the House of Representatives member for Bekwara, Obanliku and Obudu federal constituency, Peter Akpanke, urged the Minister to include the rehabilitation and reconstruction of other federal roads in the ministry’s budget.
During a question and answer session, stakeholders drew the minister’s attention to the deplorable condition of other federal roads linking Cross River and Benue State as well as Ebonyi State.
They said; “currently, it has become very difficult for commuters to travel from one local government area to another. There is urgent need to rehabilitate these roads to ease the suffering of our people.”
The stakeholders also pledged support of their different communities to enhance the construction of the proposed coastal road and others.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
