Ayodeji Ake
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has faulted Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, for allegedly politicising concerns over the difficult terrain along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Duke said the recent admission by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, that difficult ground conditions necessitated the redesign of sections of the project had reinforced his earlier concerns about the engineering challenges involved in constructing the highway.
In a statement by his personal assistant, Emeka Okpragu, Duke argued that Diri should address the technical and financial implications of the project rather than dismissing his criticism as politically motivated.
“I have been vindicated on the difficult terrain concerns I raised earlier. The minister supervising the project has acknowledged difficult ground conditions and explained why sections had to be redesigned. That is the substance Governor Diri should address,” he said.
Duke questioned Diri’s argument that the coastal highway was achievable, citing the construction of roads and bridges across the swampy terrain of Bayelsa State as evidence of its feasibility.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Diri had dismissed Duke’s position, insisting that the highway could be constructed.
“So, he is wrong. The Lagos-Calabar coastal road is buildable and possible,” the governor said.
Diri’s response followed Duke’s appearance on Arise Television, where the former governor expressed concerns about the geographical challenges of constructing the highway through Bayelsa.
“You cannot even go through Bayelsa. Bayelsa is swamp. Even Yenagoa, the capital, is swamp. You will probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges to go through those swamps,” Duke had said.
He also questioned the need to construct a new coastal highway when existing roads could be rehabilitated to improve connectivity between Lagos and Calabar.
“There is already a road to Calabar. I’ve driven from Lagos to Calabar several times. If the road is poor, fix it,” he said.
However, responding to Diri’s criticism, Duke maintained that the existence of roads and bridges across swampy areas did not eliminate the need to scrutinise the proposed highway’s engineering requirements, cost and funding priorities.
“Governor Diri’s examples do not dispose of those questions. A road can be technically possible and still require a serious examination of its cost, financing and priority. Listing roads built across swamps does not tell Nigerians what the entire coastal highway will ultimately demand,” he said.