Coastal Highway: Tinubu urged to safeguard diaspora investments amid project row

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA – The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway task has sparked renewed controversy, with calls connected President Bola Tinubu to intervene and safeguard the interests of Nigerians successful the diaspora whose investments are reportedly affected by the ongoing construction.

Stakeholders warned that the dispute, if not promptly addressed, could undermine the administration’s Renewed Hope economical docket and erode capitalist assurance successful the country.

In a connection signed by Engr. Stella Okengwu, a Nigerian developer, she said the telephone became indispensable to support the integrity of the President’s economical imaginativeness and uphold law owed process successful handling the quality surrounding a large diaspora-backed existent property and tourism-led improvement task successful Lagos.

Okengwu alleged that caller comments and actions by the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, concerning the affected task tract person crossed ineligible boundaries, risked reputational harm to the presidency, and raised concerns astir the regularisation of law.

“I basal present not conscionable arsenic a developer, but arsenic a arrogant girl of Nigeria representing hundreds of diaspora investors who believed successful the Renewed Hope imaginativeness of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a imaginativeness that inspired america to put massively successful Nigeria’s future,” she said.

She explained that the project, conceived successful 2021, was designed arsenic a tourism-driven nationalist improvement exemplary to promote Nigerians overseas to put backmost home.

According to her, the improvement progressive 20 hectares of legally acquired land, decently titled and subdivided into 2,500 serviced plots, each measuring astir 400 quadrate metres, and valued astatine N150 cardinal per plot, bringing the full worthy to astir N375 cardinal (about $250 million).

The connection claimed that the coastal road diversion has already affected astir 400 plots, alongside extended on-site works specified arsenic sand-filling, drainage, embankments, and assemblage structures, with estimated losses of astir N85 billion.

“This represents the hard-earned resources of Nigerians abroad, genuine superior channelled done regulated systems, present endangered by ministerial overreach,” she added.

Okengwu stressed that the project’s backing was cleanable and afloat compliant with Nigerian fiscal regulations.

She explained that each funds were transferred done authorised banking and remittance platforms specified arsenic Sendwave, MoneyGram, Lemfi, Western Union, Boss Money, and TapTap, successful enactment with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and anti–money laundering rules.

She further stated that the investments were certified by the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML), successful compliance with the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, insisting that each inflow was morganatic and verifiable.

“Any insinuation suggesting different is not lone mendacious but defamatory, and volition beryllium met with due ineligible response. These are lawfully earned funds from hardworking Nigerians abroad, not illicit proceeds,” she said.

The connection besides clarified that the quality implicit the affected spot is presently earlier a Federal High Court successful Lagos with Suit No. FHC/L/CS/10063/25, contrary to claims that judgement had already been delivered successful favour of the Federal Government.

It urged respect for the judiciary and warned against immoderate enactment susceptible of prejudicing an ongoing ineligible process.

Citing the Supreme Court’s determination successful Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986), Okengwu noted that nary party, including a authorities institution, is permitted to instrumentality the instrumentality into its ain hands portion litigation is ongoing.

“By invoking the President’s sanction successful a substance earlier the court, the curate has placed the presidency successful the enactment of ineligible and diplomatic fire. This behaviour risks undermining the judiciary and exposing the medication to reputational damage,” she said.

She further decried what she described arsenic distortions and conflicting nationalist statements astir the size of the affected land, capitalist involvement, and advisory inputs from backstage assemblage stakeholders, informing that specified misinformation could erode nationalist spot and harm Nigeria’s planetary image.

Okengwu called connected President Tinubu to instrumentality decisive enactment by reaffirming judicial independence, halting each actions pending tribunal determination, and establishing an indepe...