The Peter Obi Media Office has said that if Mr Peter Obi’s warning not to embark on the project was adhered to, the present controversies surrounding the project would have been avoided.
In a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, the Office recalled that Obi had advised that other hinterland roads should be attended to before embarking on the Coastal Highway.
Said the Office: “The Peter Obi Media Office is revisiting the contentious Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, which continues to raise significant concerns about government priorities, the use of public funds, and accountability.
“When Peter Obi urged the government to rehabilitate Nigeria’s deteriorating hinterland roads before advancing an ambitious coastal highway, his position was unambiguous: public resources should be directed toward projects that provide the greatest benefit to the largest number of Nigerians.”
The statement lamented that: “Instead of addressing these concerns, the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, responded by attacking him.
“Now that questions have emerged regarding the project’s scope and its reported truncation, Nigerians are entitled to clear answers.
“How much money has been spent? What has been completed? Who approved any alterations, and who will be held responsible for any waste or mismanagement established by the evidence? Public projects are not political advertisements, and public funds are not private property. Nigerians deserve transparency, an independent audit, and a clear account of the project’s present status.
“Peter Obi did not oppose infrastructure development; he called for responsible prioritisation and value for money.
“The government must stop portraying legitimate scrutiny as an attack and begin recognising accountability as an obligation.
“The central question persists: why target the messenger when the message calls for answers? In a new Nigeria that is Possible and OK, transparency regarding public wealth will be mandatory,” the Office said.
