Governors across the Niger Delta region have rejected attempts by the Federal Ministry of Works to modify the designated alignment of the 700-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway or integrate its execution into the existing East-West Road corridor.
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri made this announcement on Wednesday during the 200th State Executive Council meeting held at the Executive Council Chambers in Government House, Yenagoa.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues in the South-South Governors’ Forum, Governor Diri disclosed that he personally reached out to the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, to convey the region’s resolute opposition to any strategic shift that would compromise the original route of the coastal transit system.
The rejection stems from recent signals that federal contractors might divert sections of the multi-billion naira coastal project onto the inland East-West Road axis due to terrain considerations in riverine areas.
Diri emphasized that while the reconstruction of the dilapidated East-West Road remains an urgent obligation of the Federal Government, it must be treated as an entirely separate assignment and cannot serve as an alternative to opening up coastal communities.
Addressing comments made by former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke regarding the engineering difficulties of building through Bayelsa’s wetland topography, Governor Diri insisted that terrain must not be used as an excuse to shortchange the Niger Delta.
He highlighted that modern technology and civil engineering have enabled major infrastructure across similar terrains globally, pointing out that northern regions routinely receive major federal allocations for complex road networks without structural compromises.
Reaffirming the South-South region’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s original infrastructural vision, the regional leaders demanded that the Federal Ministry of Works adhere strictly to the initial master plan to ensure long-awaited maritime integration and socio-economic transformation for coastal residents.
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