- The Labour Party presidential candidate in the last election said the Tinubu government is destroying people’s livelihoods to construct a road Nigeria does not currently need.
Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, says he did not embark on needless and arbitrary demolition of private properties and destruction businesses when he led the State.
Obi said this in response to comment made by minister of works and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, who claimed Obi’s frequent criticism of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway was out of place.
Umahi said while the Federal Government has made plans to compensate those affected by the project, same thing could not be said for Obi whom Umahi said demolished private properties for road construction without compensating the affected persons.
Umahi made the assertion during a stakeholders’ meeting on the Lagos-Calabar highway project.
Reacting to the minister’s claim, Obi said Umahi’s assertion amounted to deliberate distortion of fact.
Obi said he only demolished buildings without approval and those obstructing traffic during his time as Anambra state governor, something he said is different from what the president Bola Tinubu-led administration is doing with
The Labour Party presidential candidate in the last general election said the Tinubu government is destroying people’s livelihoods to construct a road Nigeria does not currently need.
Obi said “I strongly denounce the distortion of facts surrounding my actions and statements during my tenure as governor of Anambra State, particularly concerning the ongoing demolitions for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal super highway.
“I challenge anyone to verify and show me where the demolished structures on existing roads or ongoing businesses were not encroaching on the road and built without government approval while I served as governor.
“To provide further clarity, consider concrete examples. I decisively demolished the Onitsha North local government headquarters situated on the only existing stadium, relocated, and built a brand new structure for the local government office away from the stadium.
“This action was necessary to restore the stadium to its original purpose as a sporting facility for the people. Subsequently, the stadium was rightfully named after the first owner of the first football club figure in Nigerian sports, Chuba Ikpeazu, as a tribute to our commitment to honoring our heroes. Similarly, the Onitsha South Stadium, the sole local playing ground for the community, was converted into a local government office. Recognizing the importance of recreational spaces, I reverted it to its original status by demolishing and relocating the local government office. I then renovated the stadium and renamed it after the longest-serving Green Eagles captain, Godwin Achebe.
“My actions were strategic, aiming to prioritize the repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure over projects that risked disruption and destruction. This approach aimed to safeguard the livelihoods of Nigerians and ensure the efficient use of resources.
“It is crucial to clarify the false comparisons drawn between my actions on Brewery Road and the current coastal super highway project. I never proposed creating a new road that would disrupt existing structures.
“Instead, I focused on removing obstructions on existing roads to enhance accessibility and safety for all. The ongoing destruction and disruption of jobs and livelihoods associated with the Lagos-Calabar coastal road construction sharply contrasts with my administration’s efforts to improve infrastructure while minimizing adverse impacts on communities”