Although a laudable project, issues of transparency and accountability should be addressed
More than a decade after the idea was first mooted, the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project has commenced in a blaze of controversy. The 700-kilometre highway project, designed to connect Lagos State to Cross River State, through the coastal states of Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom has high potential investment value. And it is expected to be delivered in eight years.
In response, the Minister of Works, David Umahi has refuted allegations that the project bypassed the proper procurement process. He said the contract was awarded to Hitech because of their track record, and based on a counter-funding rather than Public-Private Partnership arrangement as widely claimed. Umahi likened the coastal project to that of Abuja-Makurdi being handled by China Harbour, and the road project in Enugu State where the government is paying 50 per cent counterpart funding.
There is no doubt that the coastal road is a laudable project. When completed, it will impact positively on the national economy particularly on the Lagos end. But Atiku is right to take the government to task on how a project earlier announced as PPP operating on BOT ended up being funded by the government. The Bureau of Public Procurement silence on the issue is also very telling.
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