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Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the recent election, has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the transparency of the Lagos-Calabar highway project’s expenses.
Atiku, in a statement released on Tuesday, urged the Tinubu administration to reveal the complete cost of the project, emphasizing the importance of transparency, particularly during Nigeria’s ongoing economic difficulties.
Through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku questioned the Tinubu administration’s decision to award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without competitive bidding, highlighting concerns about the process.
He also questioned why the Tinubu government allocated ₦1.06 trillion for the initial phase, which accounts for 6% of the project. This phase starts at Eko Atlantic and ends at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
In another statement obtained by Pulse and signed on Tuesday, April 9, 2023 in Abuja by Atiku's Special Assistant Phrank Shaibu, the ex-Vice President said, “The Tinubu administration cannot continue to respond to the public inquiry with insults. They must come clean on this project because Nigerians deserve to know the truth. I, therefore, present six posers to the administration.
“How much is the total cost of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway? Why is the project being funded by the Nigerian government despite being a PPP? Why is the project taking off from Chagoury’s Eko Atlantic? Why is N1.06tn being spent on the pilot phase, which is just 47km?
“Why did the N1.06tn not get the approval of the National Assembly? Why wasn’t there a competitive bidding for the project? Finally, how did the Tinubu administration get the design as well as the right of way in just 7 months, since it claims the past administration of Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari never touched the project?”
Atiku urged the Tinubu administration to comply with the Freedom of Information Act by addressing questions directly rather than resorting to immature insults to evade inquiries.