Coastal Highway Project: Tinubu Support Group Tackles Afenifere Leader Adebanjo
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has backed his infrastructural policies since he assumed office in May 2023
- There have been groaning from several quarters over his planned coastal highway projects linking Lagos to eight other states
- One of the critics of these projects is the former leader of the Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo
Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
FCT, Abuja - The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has strongly criticised former leaders of the Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere, particularly Pa Ayo Adebanjo, for their negative comments regarding the proposed construction of a 700km coastal highway linking Lagos to eight other states.
In a statement released in Abuja and signed by its Chairman, Jesutega Onokpasa, the TMSG denounced Adebanjo's criticism as misinformed and lacking good intentions.
Source: Twitter
It said:
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"In a most outrageous show of shallow, unresearched and non analytic reasoning, these prowling urchins of evil intentions, queried the productiveness and necessity of the Coastal Road Project with disregard to the poor level of Nigeria's infrastructural deficit.
"It is laughable to say that despite the frightening figures estimated as the country's infrastructural deficit, a group of attention seekers (Pa Adebanjo and his men) will describe the award of a project like the Coastal Highway Project, with inherent opportunities in Tourism and Blue Economy as, "unproductive and wasteful."
Benefits of coastal highways
The statement highlighted that Gboyega Adejumo, Prince Faloke, and Pa Ayo Adebanjo should understand that the East-West Road and the Coastal Highway Project serve distinct economic purposes.
It clarified that while the former aims to boost the economies of Lagos, Shagamu, Ore, Benin, Warri, Ugelli, Aba, and Port Harcourt, the latter is focused on leveraging tourism and blue economic investment opportunities along the coastal axis from Igbokoda in Ondo State to Warri and other coastal towns in the Niger Delta region, including Port-Harcourt.
The statement emphasised that this initiative reflects the foresight, creativity, and proactive approach demonstrated by President Tinubu when he established the Lekki Free Trade Zone during his tenure as governor of Lagos State.
The announcement reiterated that the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) is home to some of Africa's most significant investments, significantly impacting Nigeria's economy.
Additionally, plans are in place for the Coastal Highway to traverse through the LFTZ.
In contrast to the East-West Road, which relies entirely on federal funding through the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Coastal Highway Project operates under an Engineering Procurement Construction and Financing (EPCF) model facilitated by a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Hi-Tech is poised to finance a substantial portion of the project, aiming to recoup costs through tolls and other economic avenues.
Aftermath of Coastal Highway Project
Upon completion, the initiative will foster social and economic cohesion among coastal communities, previously reliant on oil revenues but plagued by coastal erosion.
It will connect these areas with the broader non-oil economic sectors, opening up new development opportunities.
The statement concludes:
"We make bold to assure Nigerians of President Bola Tinubu's commitment to the full implementation of the coastal projects.
"Our nation is on the right track and all we need to do is to support our President in actualizing his vision for our country."
TMSG contended that the stance of the ex-leader of Afenifere and his faction stemmed from animosity rather than genuine benevolence.
Tinubu bags prestigious awards
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has expressed optimism regarding Nigeria's current economic challenges, believing they can be resolved.
He was also honoured with the Person of the Year award for his resolute stance during the 2023 general election.
Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and orientation, accepted the award on his behalf and emphasised Tinubu's administration's commitment to revitalising the economy.
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Source: Legit.ng
