GOVERNOR UBA SANI COMMENDS WORKS MINISTER OVER INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, URGES COMPLETION OF KEY PROJECTS. Kaduna state Governor Senator Uba Sani, has commended the Honourable Minister of Works His Excellency Engr. Dr. David Umahi over his efforts on Infrastructural development across the Country. The Governor made this remark during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Works in his office in Abuja. Sani praised the progress being made on various road projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, Sokoto-Badagry Road, and Kaduna- Zamfara –Sokoto as well as the Zaria to Kaduna, Makurdi-Enugu Road amongst others. The Senator the described the Abuja –Kaduna road to link to four (4) states with enormous benefit to cities and rural communities.  He also urged the Minister to complete the Eastern bypass in Kaduna and the Mando – Birnin- Gwari Road, which was promised by President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his campaign visit to Kaduna.      Senator Sani commended the Minister for separating the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road project, which will now be constructed by Dangote, BUA, and Julius Berger through the Tax Credit Scheme.  He expressed his excitement over the project's completion within the next one year as directed by President Tinubu.        In his remarks, the Honourable Minister assured Senator Sani that the projects will be completed as scheduled and thanked him for his support and encouragement. He also commended Senator Sani for his leadership role in bringing everyone together irrespective of religious or ethnic affiliations and commitment to the development of Kaduna State and the nation at large. The meeting reinforced the Federal Government's commitment to Infrastructural development and its determination to leave a lasting legacy in Nigeria's path to development. ...

DESIGN  OF 1000KM SOKOTO- BADAGRY  UNDERWAY AS FG PLANS  A NATIONAL ROAD NETWORK  PROGRAMME  THAT LINKS THE 6 GEO-POLITICAL ZONES FOR ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION ECOSYSTEM The Honourable Minister of Works  His Excellency, Sen Engr. Dr. Nweze David Umahi CON has expressed the plan of the Renewed Hope administration of the President of Nigeria, His Excellency President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to connect  the 6 -Geo- political  Zones  of the country with enduring  network  of road that will in turn foster a more secure, safer and sustainable transportation  ecosystem.   The Honourable Minister  gave this indication during  his inspection visit to the km 47 axis of the  Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project at  Eleko,  Lagos State  which the contractor moved to handle due to the ongoing  demolition  around the km 3- 4 of the highway. Speaking  during  the visit, the Honourable Minister, accompanied  by the Federal  Controller of Works, Lagos State, Engr. (Mrs) O. I. Kesha and other technical  team of the Ministry, revealed that he had received  a directive  by Mr. President to commence the immediate  design of the Sokoto- Badagry  Highway,  which is a spur to the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway. He stated, "And I'm happy that Mr. President has also directed me to start the immediate design of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, and that one is 1,000 kilometers . We've started the design, and I'm very sure that as soon as FEC approves it, we will be starting at Sokoto side, which is going to be the zero point.  In the course  of the  inspection, the Honourable  Minister noted  the need to realign the coastal  highway  around  the  axis of the Lekki Deep Sea Port at the point of km 47  by constructing a flyover bridge across the Dangote/ Hitech  concrete pavement so as to  allign with the economic values  of the coastal highway. He stated, "We have chosen another alignment that is going to be parallel to the road that is going to the Lekki Deep Sea port at kilometer 47. And that's the end of section one of phase one. And so we are very happy with that decision. We use a flyover to fly over the Dangote HiTech road that is coming from Lekki Deep Sea port going to Epe and joining the road that is going from Lekki Deep Sea  to Lagos being done by the State Government." He commended  Hitech Construction Nigeria Limited  for the quality  and speed of the job and hoped that with their capacity and track records, and the manifest political will of Mr. President, the 700 km project would be completed within the  8 years of the Renewed Hope administration of  Mr. President, noting  that the coastal  highway  project  will connect  the entire country  through  the spurs going  to the North by  both North East and  North West as well as  North Central. He said, "We are very, very excited with the quality of work they are doing, with the speed of work. It gives us the confidence that this Coastal road will be constructed within the two times tenure of Mr. President." He further  stated, "We also have another spur that is going to go from Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja going to Cameroon. And so we have that spur. It's about 361 kilometers going through Otukpo to Benue,  Nasarawa, and ends up at Apo in Abuja. We are also going to be presenting it to Mr. President. When this is done, then the coastal road, like we promised, is going to circle the entire country." On the much media hyped  report  on the impact of the demolition  exercise  along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway  section 1, phase 1 as it affects the Landmark  investment, the Honourable Minister made it clear that  the Landmark  properties were intact and that the owner of the investment has no title  to the 250 meters  shoreline which is  the right of way  belonging the Federal Government. He said, "We are looking at the feelings of the people, and we're looking at economic values by making sure that, as much as possible, we follow the coast and also follow the right of way that is legally within the right of way of the Federal Government. This is not to say that for the interest of the nation and in line with our laws that lands cannot be acquired in the overall interest of the public."   ...

Federal Government Begins Demolition Of Properties  Affected  By The Right  Of Way On Section 1 Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway, Says  Exercise Shall Have A Human  Face   The Honourable Minister  of Works, His Excellency,  Senator. (Engr) Dr. Nweze  David Umahi CON has assured  that the construction of Lagos- Calabar  Coastal Highway  being  handled  by Federal Government  under  His Excellency President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR would mark a major milestone  in the Renewed Hope  roadmap towards economic  diversification. He gave this assurance  during  the flag-off of the demolition  of properties  affected  by the right of way on section  1 of  the  Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway  being handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd.  He said, the Federal Government  is  passionate about the plight of the people  and would, in the exercise  of the right of way, put a human face in the demotion of properties  that were required  to give way for the construction  of the coastal highway, noting that the Federal Government was  considering the most economically viable way to pass the coastal road without much damages. He further reassured that there would be no delay in the payment  of compensation to the property owners  entitled  to compensation but solicited  their cooperation to the timeline of the demolition  exercise. He said, "We are doing some minor adjustments, and our commitment is to stay  within the coastline. When the initial demolition order was passed to all the affected  investors, so to speak, I graciously  increased  the period  to another  seven days and yet another 4 days, and here we are because the project stopped because  of the part of  this demolition, and I want to commend  the likes of Mr Bolaji." While flagging -off the demolition  exercise, he said, "This demolition  is going  to have a pure human  face and so with the utmost  fear of Gid, gratitude  to God Almighty  and commitment  to the Renewed Hope agenda  of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR in our infrastructural development  in particular, I wish to flag-off this demolition  exercise to get a right  of way within  the coastal corridor  which  is the legitimate  right  of the Federal Government."  The Honourable Minister, however, called on all those to be affected  by the demolition  exercise  to take it as a sacrifice for the  ultimate  impact of the project on the economic  prosperity  of the nation. He highlighted  the socio- economic  benefits  of the project, including the money it will save for businessmen and women  and the stability  it will bring  to the economy. For those playing  poltics  with the economic  enhancing  project, he said, "Those who are playing  poltics with this can go ahead. My job is simple, just to pass the coastal  road and those who are into politics  can continue.."  Speaking  during  the event, one of the affected  property  owners, Mr.  Balaji Ariyo ( Mami Chula), said  the demolition  would no doubt  affect  his business  but he had no option than  to make  sacrifice for the greater good of millions of  Nigerians  whose livelihood  would  be impacted  by the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway  which has a spur that connects South to North. He urged all those to be affected  by this critical infrastructure  to see it as a sacrifice  for the good of all Nigerians. He said," Yeah, some of us are affected, no doubt about it. But some of us are not up to 0.1% of the millions of people that we enjoy the coastal road. That's why someone  like me and some others also have taken it to heart to also support Mr. President and the Honourable Minister to ensure that this road comes to life." He noted that the coastal highway  has the potential  to create  greater  vistas of opportunities  for  businesses and other human development initiatives that would  benefit a greater number of Nigerians.  He said,  "As humans, those affected  will feel  the pain, but the future  of the country  must be put first.And some of us are paying the price in good faith. So we are human, we feel the pain. But at the same time, if you look at the longer picture, you realize that it's the benefit of everyone. It's more than the benefit of one person. Yes, we are sitting on a lot of money, a lot of money being recouped here. But at the same time, it is not  worth the enjoyment or the free access of every other Nigerian that will apply the road. So Mr. Minister has already lectured me so well and has consoled me so many times."  The  demolition exercise  continues as the Committee of  the Federal Ministry of Works on  Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway,  Section  1 Compensation,  headed by  the  Federal Controller  of Works Lagos State, Engr. (Mrs.) Olukorede Iyabo Kesha. works round the  clock  to ensure  that payment  of compensation to the affected  property  owners begins in  earnest  in a matter of days. ...