Babafemi Ojudu, former special adviser on political matters to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, says the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway deserves commendation despite his reservations about the project’s cost and procurement process.
Ojudu’s remarks come amid renewed debate over the
750-kilometre project after Donald Duke, former governor of Cross River and
presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), described it as a
misplaced priority.
In an article titled ‘A Road Worth Commending’, Ojudu, a
former senator, said acknowledging the significance of the project should not
be misconstrued as an endorsement of President Bola Tinubu or his
administration.
The former presidential aide said he remains undecided on
the 2027 presidential election, noting that no aspirant has presented a
manifesto convincing enough to merit his support.
“I am a member of the APC. I am, however, not of the
Emilokan persuasion,” he wrote.
“I am not endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second
term, just as I am not prepared to endorse any of those already lining up to
contest the office.
“My position is simple: no aspirant has yet presented a
manifesto that I have had the opportunity to examine and find sufficiently
convincing—or worthy of the continuing sacrifices of long-suffering Nigerians.”
Ojudu said his assessment of the coastal highway was
informed by his experience as a journalist, stressing that facts should be
acknowledged irrespective of political affiliations.
He said he recently drove along the highway from Victoria
Island to about the 98-kilometre mark, where construction had reached, and was
impressed by what he saw.
“If I claimed that I was not impressed, I would be
dishonest,” the former lawmaker said.
“I drove from the Victoria Island end to around the
98-kilometre mark, where construction had reached at the time. In fact, I made
the journey three times, simply to satisfy myself that what I was seeing was
real and not an illusion.”
Ojudu, however, said questions remain over the project’s
cost and the opacity surrounding its procurement process.
“Let me be clear: I still have questions about the cost of
the project. I also have reservations about the opacity surrounding the
procurement process and the award of the contract,” he said.
“These are legitimate concerns in a democracy, and they
deserve rigorous scrutiny. I intend to return to them at another time.”
He said his focus, for now, is on the vision and
transformative potential of the project, noting that if completed to Calabar,
the highway would rank among Nigeria’s most significant infrastructure
projects.
“If this highway is completed all the way to Calabar, it
will rank among the most consequential infrastructure projects ever undertaken
in modern Nigeria,” he said.
“Whatever history may eventually say about this
administration, such an achievement would unquestionably form an important part
of President Tinubu’s legacy.”
Ojudu said the highway’s wide carriageways, solar-powered
lighting and fibre-optic infrastructure could unlock economic opportunities
across the coastal corridor by opening up new areas for housing, tourism,
logistics, manufacturing and commercial activities.
He urged investors and developers to explore the
opportunities along the route, saying many are yet to appreciate the scale of
its economic potential.
The former presidential aide added that citizens should be
objective in assessing governments by criticising policies that deserve
scrutiny while acknowledging projects that deliver value.
“As citizens, we must cultivate the discipline to criticise
what deserves criticism and commend what deserves commendation,” he said.
“Governments are not entitled to applause merely for doing
their duty, but neither should they be denied credit when something genuinely
worthwhile is being accomplished.
“That balance is the essence of responsible citizenship —
and the obligation of independent journalism.”
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