By Kelvin Obambon
Stakeholders, youth groups, and a top aide in the office of the president have expressed satisfaction with the progress of work on the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, dismissing criticisms surrounding the flagship infrastructure development as unfounded narratives.
The endorsement came during a joint guided inspection tour of Section 3 (Cross River/Akwa Ibom axis) of the project by youth groups, federal ministry of works officials, and a representative from the presidency.
Speaking during the inspection on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-South), Hon. Gift Johnbull, commended the youth and community groups for taking proactive steps to verify the project’s progress rather than relying on media speculation.
READ ALSO: NUJ Salutes Florence Oluohu’s Journalism Legacy as She Retires at 60
“Niger Delta and the South-South deserve the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to foster trade and commerce, not just now, but for the future,” Johnbull stated. “We have seen a president who has the political will to give us what we’ve been clamouring for. The Niger Delta is not the only delta in the world. We have deltas in the Netherlands, Vietnam, and the USA, and they have standard roads. What we needed was the political will, competence, and technology, which we now have.”
She expressed optimism that the transition to Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) technology would solve the historical challenge of road failure in the swampy terrain of the Niger Delta region.
The Convener of the Community of Comrades South-South and Special Assistant to the Cross River State Governor on Student Affairs, Comrade Joseph-Kelvin Enyam, condemned critics badmouthing the project and clarified that physical work is rapidly advancing on the Calabar end.
“We decided to see things for ourselves after hearing narratives that the project stops around the Lekki/Epe axis in Lagos,” Eyam said. “I am shocked by what I’ve seen on the ground. You cannot speak against the development of a region that contributes immensely to the growth of the entire nation. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has remembered us, and we are giving 100 percent support to ensure this vision is translated.”
Providing an update on technical progress, a Controller of Works at the Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. Okuduwa Vincent, confirmed that substantial progress has been achieved across both Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.
According to Vincent, “The current active execution covers 71 km (41 km in Akwa Ibom State and 30 km in Cross River State). In Section 3A, approximately 9 km has reached the final CRCP concrete stage, representing an 18% overall completion rate for that specific section.”
He also disclosed that over 90% of compensation has been paid to affected property owners and communities in Akwa Ibom State, with the remaining 10% undergoing minor processing due to terrain realignments aimed at avoiding deep swamps.
Addressing recent public misconceptions regarding the road’s alignment, Engr. Vincent clarified that the overall 750 km highway alignment remains fully intact, with additional spur connections planned toward the East-West road to boost regional connectivity.
The Site Engineer for the contractor (Hitech), Charbel Karam, stated that dual stretches of 6 km each have already seen full completion of concrete paving (CRCP), median barriers, street lights, walkways, and V-drains at the section 3B in Cross River.
“We have about 15 to 20 kilometers near completion standard. The remaining swampy areas are actively being stabilized, and earthworks will be completed within two to three months for final CRCP concrete paving early in the new year,” Karam assured.
