Niger Delta groups have urged the Federal Government to revert to the original alignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to prevent the exclusion of key riverine communities in Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa and other coastal states.
The groups, under the aegis of Niger Delta Concerned Stakeholders for Accountable Security and Progress (NDCSASP) and the 21st Century Youths of Niger Delta, condemned the proposed diversion of sections of the highway away from the original coastal route, insisting that Ilaje, Itsekiri and Ijaw communities must not be excluded from the project.
They argued that bypassing the communities would undermine the highway’s objective of opening up the coastline to investment, tourism, port development and new coastal cities.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by their spokesman, Enisuo Oruomoni, the groups called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure the original master plan was fully implemented.
They said the Federal Government should extend to Niger Delta riverine communities the same infrastructure provided along the Lagos section of the highway, including beachfront roads, shore protection and bridges across creeks.
“We completely agree with Comrade Tsaye Mene. This is not acceptable if it is true. What is done in Lagos State should be done in other riverine communities and states,” the statement said.
The groups were reacting to concerns raised by Mene, convener of Warri Reclamation Thrust and a former national executive member of the Itsekiri National Youths Council, over the reported diversion of the coastal highway from its original alignment.
They acknowledged explanations from the Presidency and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, concerning the bypassing of some coastal communities and the proposed realignment towards the East-West Road.
However, they appealed to the Federal Government to retain the coastal route, arguing that the project was not merely a transportation corridor but also an opportunity to protect vulnerable communities from coastal erosion and ocean surges.
“This road is not just for transportation. It is an environmental protection infrastructure. It will help in protecting and reclaiming the coastlines which oil exploration activities and ocean surge are wiping off daily,” the groups said.
They listed Ugborodo, Ogidigben, Ayetoro, Arogbo-Ibe, Gbaramatu, Ekeremor, Ekeni, Ezetu, Furopah, Koloama and Brass among the communities they said were threatened by coastal erosion and needed shore protection.
The groups maintained that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the East-West Road served different purposes and should not be treated as interchangeable projects.
According to them, while the East-West Road provides inland connectivity, the coastal highway is intended to open up underserved coastal areas to economic activities and infrastructure development.
“The Coastal Highway and East-West Road are two different projects with different economic objectives. One cannot replace the other,” the statement said.
The groups also argued that the original alignment should run from Lagos through Ogun Waterside, Ilaje and Arogbo-Ibe in Ondo State, the coastal communities of Delta and Bayelsa states, and onward through Rivers and Akwa Ibom states to Calabar.
They expressed disagreement with the cost-saving argument attributed to Umahi, insisting that Niger Delta communities deserved the same level of engineering investment and infrastructure as other sections of the highway.
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The groups cited the reported expenditure on a section of the road in Lagos as justification for their demand that comparable infrastructure, including bridges and shoreline protection, be provided in the Niger Delta.
They urged Tinubu to intervene and ensure that the original alignment was maintained, arguing that oil-producing communities should benefit from infrastructure funded substantially by the country’s oil wealth.
Despite their criticism of the proposed route change, the groups said they remained supporters of Tinubu, expressing confidence that the President would address their concerns.
They cited the administration’s policies on electricity decentralisation, local government autonomy, funding for the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Presidential Amnesty Programme, as well as port dredging, among reasons for their continued support.
“We remain loyal supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo)’s door-to-door campaign for his re-election,” the statement said.
The groups warned that excluding Ilaje, Itsekiri and Ijaw coastal communities would defeat the project’s stated objective of opening up the coastline and called for the full implementation of the original master plan.
“Our communities must not be bypassed,” they said.
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