By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka Abuja
The media office of the Minister, Federal Ministry of Works (FMW), Engr Dave Umahi has declared false and unfounded, the viewpoints of Nigeria’s former Vice President (VP) and Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in 2023, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on the Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway project.
“I wish to categorically state that such viewpoints are false analogies, conceived by the fertile imaginations of the former Vice President and which are clearly superficial, hypocritical, diversionary, and undoubtedly motivated by ambitious political calculations, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji reacted through a press release he made available to media houses recently.
According to the Media Adviser, the former VP had, on monday criticized the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project award and cost, which according to him, the former VC fallaciously said was awarded to Hitech, without due process and at a cost higher than the initial amount announced by the two previous administrations that attempted to execute the project.
Also, on Sunday, he went on, Alhaji Atiku criticized the Federal Government’s (FG) decision to embark on a developmental journey that would redefine the economic growth trajectory of Nigeria, by raising two issues, namely; that the contract was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Limited, because of the personal relationship between Mr President and the Chairman of Hitech, Chagoury, and that the demolition exercise was done in a hurry and thus a threat to foreign investment.
He described the accusations as politically motivated to imprint malice in the minds of the public. Orji said that the minister had in different media fora decapitated the insinuations of the former VP and other desperate persons when he gave insights into the award process; the unit cost comparisons, the project review dimensions, the demolition notices and compensation plans, as well as those affected by the demolition.
Maintaining that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project complied 100% with the provisions of the Procurement Act and was awarded based on the EPC+ F procurement process, he explained that the project was an unsolicited bid done on EPC+F, adding that under the model of procurement, the investor provides all the designs, part of the financing and construction, while the FG pays counterpart funds.
While informing that the bid of the project came through the process, he added that the FMW received the bid, worked on it, and sent same to the Bureau of Public Procurement ( BPP), clarifying that the BPP worked on it in accordance with the stipulations of the the Act and came up with a competitive price lower than the Ministry’s price and the cost of similar projects awarded five years ago, including the Bodo-Bonny project awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
He also informed that the BPP issued a certificate of “No Objection” on the project to the FMW as required by the Procurement Act, adding that the FMW took the certificate of “No Objection” to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and the FEC deliberated on it and approved the same. Stating that the FEC had first approved the project model on EPC+F before the starting of the process of procurement, Orji Uchenna Orji said it was a testament that the project, section 1, followed due process.
Still treating the former VP’s view point with a wave of hands, he said Atiku’s claim that Mr President’s son had interest in CDK Integrated Industries Ltd wasn’t tenable, explaining that the company that did bid for the project was Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Ltd which, according to him, had a legal personality, as it were. He described the claims as digression, showing absolute frustration of a false accuser who is bereaved of facts to substantiate his claims.
Speaking on the cost of award of the project and on other projects under Umahi, he said: “It is of public and judicial notice that Umahi is second to none in the history of the FMW in negotiating costs of projects, and he does that with patriotism. The Minister has within the shortest period in office, saved billions of Naira in the review; redesign and award of contracts. The former VP and others who share in his misguided views can honestly testify to this indisputable fact.
“In the case under review, the Minister had come up with a new dimension of the project of which the design, dimension and concept were reviewed upward by the Ministry and yet the cost was drastically reduced downwards. The project, which was by the analysis of the former VP put at a cost of about N8.552 billion per km of standard gauge, was reduced to about N4.329 billion per kilometer gauge by Umahi under the new design. The old concept and design relied upon by the former VP has a 52-metre corridor with asphalt, whereas the new concept as reviewed by the former governor has a 100-metre corridor with a concrete pavement of 59.2 metres and increased size of 10 lanes and a provision for 25 metres for train track.”
He continued: “As you know, the road standard used by Atiku in his analysis can not stand the test of time, because of the high water table at the coastal area. The quality of road design and construction by the present administration for the coastal road is such that it will last for 50 to 100 years. In this regard therefore, it will not be immodest to state that the presidential candidate in 2023 displayed the highest level of hypocrisy and was out to mislead the public.
“On the due process raised by concerned environmentalists and with the greatest respect to the concerns of Laila Johnson-Salami, there was a preliminary approval issued in December 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) and the same renewed in January 2024. As you know, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ( ESIA) certification is progressive with the project’s progress and final certificate issued when all issues are resolved. This means that the FMW has a certified ESIA to start the project.
“Even the FME has confirmed this position in their recent press release, whereof they stated, among others, that Preliminary Impact Assessment (PIA) certification was issued for site clearance and scoping for compensation. The FMW has redesigned the route to put human face to the decision to embark on the project and to minimize demolition of permanent structures. The route, as it were, targets the demolition of shanties and this demonstrates the human face in action of the Renewed Hope administration.
“The ESIA’s process involves constant stakeholders’ engagement, of which many have taken place, and the Minister has even participated in two of the meetings in Lagos which were broadcast live to buttress his sense of transparency which are the tenets of the present administration. Compensation is ongoing and those whose properties were affected appreciated the human face shown by the Minister and they offered to make sacrifice as their contribution for the nation’s economic advancement.
“It needs not be overemphasized that the relevant notices were issued and this led to a seamless compensation process achieved without rancor, except in the case of the owner of Landmark whose psyche was manipulated by politicians moments after he appreciated the efforts of the Honourable Minister of Works in ensuring minimum damage to properties on the right of way for which he acknowledged that he had no valid title in favour thereof.
Reiterating that the Coastal Highway was Africa’s biggest highway that should be a major catalyst of Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation, adding that it was conceptualized partly at the time Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was the VP, he said that successive administrations failed to execute it because of lack of political will. The government in power, according to him, being private sector and FDI friendly, saw the need to execute the project and on time, through ECP+ F model of funding.
He however continued to say that the project was appropriated by the 10th National Assembly and extra-ordinary funding, as permitted by law, stating that it requires to execute the project, hence the ECP+ F Hitech contract. The media adviser therefore maintained that it was a legislative practice that is well known and, stating that it is consistent with the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria,as Amended.
“This highway will trigger economic boom, raise the GDP, create greater tourism potentials, create wealth and job opportunities, attract wider Foreign Direct Investment, boost coastal businesses, trade and market development, and promote industrialization, especially along the coastal corridors with far reaching impact on the social-economic activities and safety along the feeder routes and spurs.
“Nigeria will be a great country, when the 10-lane super highway of 700 kilometres with a train track is completed. As for the speed and quality of work, you can always trust the track records of Mr President and his Minister in service delivery. I hope this matter will be laid to final rest by all critics.
“For those who are pessimistic and those who seek to malign the Minister, especially those who described him as a ‘Miserable Federalist and One of Those Who Claim to Love Nigeria at Their Own Peril,’ particularly as verbosely captured in the publication made in the Daily Sun of of 6th May 2024 by one columnist and perhaps a separatist agitator, Amanze Obi, the Minister is passionate about restoring the confidence of Nigerians in the utility value of road infrastructure nationwide.
“He has no business with their political permutations of the future and he has not castigated anyone or anyone’s opinion in the course of discharging his mandate as the Minister of Works, except that he needed to put issues in their proper perspective as regards the concerns raised by politicians on the Highway project. Of note is the fact that he has a good personal relationship with his brother, Peter Obi and this is mutually respected by each of the two.
“If Amanze Obi has chosen to be a bigot, as insinuated in his ill-mannered and erratic publication, the Minister believes in one Nigeria, where there is love, fairness and equal opportunities, and where every citizen must work for the unity and progress of the country with a deep sense of patriotism and truth,” he stated.
Assuring that, Dave Umahi is committed to Nigeria’s road infrastructure revolution and ahead of those who don’t like to see a country we can be proud of, Orji Uchenna Orji in the release promised that the Minister is committed to reflecting the ideals of the aspirations in all his private and public dealings, irrespective of the person’s religion, tribe, tongue or political affiliation.