Umahi
Coastal Road: Probe Works Minister, Federal Controller of Works, Diasporan Investors Cry to Tinubu, NASS
A group of diasporan real estate investors, under the aegis of WinHomes Estate Global Service, are demanding for an urgent thorough probe into the activities of the Federal Ministry of Works, over the sudden and illegal diversion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project to Okun Ajah community, which has wiped out their N250 billion estate investments.
The group, comprising of diasporan real estate investors led by Engineer Stella Okengwu, Engineer Femi Adekoya, Mr. Olawale Oluwa, Mr. Oluseyi Ladipo and Mr. Patrick Ndubuisi, stated that ministry’s illegal diversion of the coastal road to Okun Ajah, spearheaded by the Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi, and the Federal Controller of Works, Olukorede Keisha, led to the unwarranted destruction of their N250 billion estate.
Specifically, in their petition, copies of which are sent to the National Assembly, the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Works, Abuja, and the Lagos State Government, Ikeja, they emphasized that their investments under the Winhomes estate have been affected by the sudden and illegal diversion, which disregarded the original gazetted alignment.
In the petition, released today, October 22, 2024, the investors claimed that the diversion of the road, which led to destruction of the WinHomes Estate, is a huge loss not only to them, but also a terrible and significant damage to President Tinubu’s foreign direct investment (FDI) drive to Nigeria.
They alleged that the illegal diversion was caused by corrupt officials who demanded bribes from residents who were originally affected in the area in order to avoid demolition.
They pointedly accused the Federal Controller of Works, Olukorede Keisha, of having colluded with the initially affected residents and, thus, undermined the Winhomes investments in Okun Ajah community.
According to them, their properties are covered by all the necessary legal documents, including a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Lagos State Government, wondering why their properties were demolished without any notice.
“We are deeply concerned about the illegal actions of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Controller of Works,” said Engr. Femi Adekoya, one of the affected investors.
He insisted that, “The diversion of the road has caused immense hardship to our community, and we demand justice.”
The investors, consequently, called on the Chairman of the Committee on Works in the Federal House of Representatives to investigate the matter and hold those responsible accountable for the loss of the huge investments.
Also, they urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and ensure that the original alignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is adhered to henceforth, in order not to jeopardize his vision for the country, especially regarding the Lagos-Calabar coastal road.
Indeed, there has already been palpable tension in the affected Okun Ajah community over the alleged plans by the Federal Ministry of Works to reroute the ongoing coastal road to the community.
The rerouting of the coastal road alignment has caused division in the community, with residents up in arms to defend their area. Accusations and counter-accusations have been flying from and across different camps, especially from those that built on the coastal road alignment.
The current scurfy in Okun Ajah is said to linked to the belief that some unscrupulous land grabbers who illegally sold parcels of land of the coastal road to members of public are the source of Okun Ajah problem.
And now that the current administration of President Tinubu has commenced work on the coastal road, the land grabbers and their collaborators are now trying to pass the consequences of their illegal actions to other innocent landlords and business owners who adhered to the old gazetted alignment of 2006.
According to the gazetted alignment of 2006, the alleged rerouting of the coastal road is clearly illegal and will destroy many years of labour of law-abiding citizens who adhered to the law and built their houses outside of the coastal road right of way.
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