Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns about the Lagos-Calabar highway project, which was restarted by President Bola Tinubu. Atiku suggested that if the project were genuine, it should have commenced from Calabar, not Lagos, and expressed doubts about its viability, labeling it as another attempt to deceive the people.
Atiku, in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibeh, criticized the project, stating that it appeared dubious and resembled a white elephant project. He accused the Tinubu administration of engaging in shady deals and questioned the transparency of the project.
The project, initially announced during the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2014, was renegotiated by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2016. However, it has faced numerous delays and controversies since then.
Atiku highlighted that the project, awarded to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech Construction Company Limited, was being carried out under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, without requiring public funds. However, he criticized the lack of transparency in the project’s financing and questioned the exorbitant costs associated with it.
Furthermore, Atiku pointed out that the project’s pilot phase, solely located in Lagos, raised suspicions about its true intentions, especially given the business interests of both Tinubu and Chagoury in the area.
He also criticized Hitech Construction Company Limited’s track record, citing its failure to complete the Lekki-Epe Expressway despite being part of the consortium responsible for the project.
Atiku accused Tinubu of prioritizing personal business interests over the welfare of Nigerians, in violation of his oath of office. He expressed concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the project and cautioned against the establishment of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, which he feared could be used as a means to siphon public funds through opaque projects.
Atiku emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in the management of public projects like the Lagos-Calabar highway, warning against further mismanagement and misuse of public funds.
