The federal government has announced it is withholding compensation payments to affected property owners on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project due to realignment and alterations in the initial plan.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi disclosed this during his inspection of ongoing work on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other road projects, including those in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Dangote Tax Credit Route, and Eleko, among other areas on Saturday in Lagos.
The minister stated that to address the compensation issues affecting various critical infrastructure, the government had reduced the entire corridor from Phase Two, Section Two of the coastal route to effective pavements of 55km, including the 10 train tracks.
He said government had so far released approximately N10 billion in compensation.
Umahi said; “We are going to withhold compensation payment from Kilometre 7 because we have re-routed some of the sections, like the White Sand Beach.
“We reduced the 10 tracks from 55 to 20, and we are taking it back also towards the beginning of this project.”
Umahi said the rerouting of the project will lead to the safety of many underground cables in the country. He also revealed that other properties would be saved as the construction is now realigned to mostly swampy areas.
According to Umahi, payment of compensation would continue only after a review of the affected properties along the highway.
