After demolishing Landmark beachfront, FG discontinues Lagos-Calabar Highway realignment, cites submarine cables

After demolishing Landmark beachfront, FG discontinues Lagos-Calabar Highway realignment, cites submarine cables

Nigeria’s Federal Government has announced its decision to stop the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway realignment due to presence of submarine cables along the route.

David Umahi, the minister of works, who disclosed this at the 3rd Stakeholders Meeting in Lagos on Thursday, said the proposed diversion would no longer occur due to the submarine cables along the coastline.

Umahi also announced that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would not be available, citing Section 15 (b) of the Freedom of Information Act to support the government’s decision to withhold certain information from the press and public.

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The Section Umahi cited is the exception of third-party information, which allows government institutions to deny journalists or the public access to information.

Meanwhile, the announcement comes after the telecommunication companies warned the government of the possibility of network outage in the country if the diversion is not reconsidered.

The government has since decided not to proceed with the diversion, which would affect connectivity to the internet in the country and lead to the demolition of ancestral homes in the Okun-Ajah community.

In a video posted by journalist Laila Johnson-Salami, members of the Okun-Ajah community were seen praising the Tinubu-led administration for its decision not to use the route.

The government is now considering alternatives to ensure the continuation of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, despite previous demolitions that affected the beachfront of private businesses, including Landmark.