2 weeks ago
5
Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has asked the national authorities to people the afloat contractual details, including financing presumption and counterpart obligations of Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.
He besides said the task should beryllium subjected to an autarkic value-for-money audit portion further payments are suspended until Nigerians are assured it genuinely serves nationalist interest.
Atiku stated this portion stressing that helium has been vindicated implicit the admittance by the curate of Works, David Umahi, that the existent outgo is so person to N8 cardinal per kilometre.
According to a connection by Atiku’s media aide, Phrank Shaibu, the curate had, successful 2024, had countered Atiku’s disclosure that the task came astatine a outgo of N8 cardinal per kilometre.
“When the Tinubu medication unveiled the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar raised the alarm that the project’s outgo was inflated to an outrageous N8 cardinal per kilometre.
“At the time, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, dismissed the claim, insisting successful a 2024 interrogation that: ‘You volition find retired that our outgo is N4 cardinal alternatively of the N8 cardinal claimed by the erstwhile Vice President.’
“However, the aforesaid curate has present done a volte look and admitted that the existent outgo is so person to N8 cardinal per kilometre — precisely what Atiku warned Nigerians about.
“This admittance not lone vindicates the erstwhile Vice President’s presumption but besides exposes the Tinubu administration’s deficiency of transparency successful managing 1 of the astir costly infrastructure projects successful Nigeria’s history.”
Atiku said helium had earlier questioned some the outgo operation and financing exemplary of the coastal highway, describing it arsenic opaque, inflated, and suspiciously designed to payment vested interests alternatively than the Nigerian people.
“Now, adjacent by the Minister’s ain account, the Federal Government’s committedness is lone 15%–30% of the full task cost, meaning the bulk of the estimated $11 cardinal would supposedly beryllium sourced by the contractor. This raises cardinal questions: Who are the existent financiers? What sovereign guarantees underpin this arrangement? How did a task initially presented arsenic cost-efficient balloon to Atiku’s projected figure?
“This improvement reinforces Atiku Abubakar’s accordant telephone for owed process, competitory bidding, and transparency successful each large nationalist projects.
Nigerians merit openness, not contradictions and concealed deals.
“Once again, Atiku has proven himself a statesman who speaks information to powerfulness — not retired of politics, but retired of patriotism. He understands that each inflated declaration represents theft from the Nigerian people.
“We, therefore, telephone connected the Tinubu medication to: Publish the afloat contractual details, including financing presumption and counterpart obligations;
“Subject the task to an autarkic value-for-money audit; and Suspend further payments until Nigerians are assured that the task genuinely serves nationalist interest.
“The Nigerian radical are watching — and history, yet again, has vindicated Atiku Abubakar,” the connection said.
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