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Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government to make public the contract documents and payment records for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, following reported changes to the project’s route.
Atiku said the reported adjustment to sections of the highway had raised questions about the original contract, funds already spent and the potential financial implications of the revised alignment.
The call was contained in a statement issued on Monday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council.
The ADC presidential candidate also alleged that the government might be preparing to seek additional loans to finance payments associated with the highway project.
He urged the Federal Government to disclose details of any proposed borrowing and the contract it would fund, alongside records of payments already made.
“Publish the proposed loan, the contract it would finance and the record of what has already been paid. If no such request exists, say so plainly and on the record,” Atiku said.
The former vice-president linked the controversy to the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that Nigerians should not be subjected to additional financial burdens without transparency over public spending.
He said households were still grappling with the effects of the subsidy removal and questioned the possibility of further borrowing for a project whose route had reportedly been altered.
Atiku also demanded an explanation of how the changes would affect the original contract, the amount already paid and the revised project cost.
“If work on the original route will no longer be done, what has been removed from the contract? How much has already been paid? What is the revised price? You cannot change the work and refuse to change the bill,” he said.
As part of his demands, Atiku called for the publication of the highway’s original feasibility and environmental studies, route maps, bills of quantities, contract variations, approvals from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), payment certificates and any borrowing proposals linked to the project.
He further urged the National Assembly to hold a public hearing before considering any additional financing for the highway.
Atiku described the reported route changes and possible new borrowing as evidence of what he characterised as policy inconsistency under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He argued that the government must provide a clear account of the financial consequences of changes to the project instead of leaving Nigerians to bear possible additional costs without adequate scrutiny.
“This is the policy inconsistency that has defined Tinubu’s government and made an already severe cost of living crisis harder for Nigerians to bear,” he said.
Atiku added that limited public access to information about capital projects could create room for corruption and weaken accountability.
He also promised that an administration led by him would ensure transparency in capital project budgeting, account for changes in project scope and cost, and subject expenditure to independent audits.
“Nigerians are not against roads. They are against secret bills for changing plans. Tinubu must show the route, show the accounts and show the loan request. Enough of grand announcements followed by expensive surprises,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, had said President Tinubu directed that the coastal highway should follow the existing East-West Road from Ondo into Edo State, rather than construct a new alignment along that corridor.
Umahi said the decision was also influenced by flooding challenges affecting parts of the East-West Road, particularly around the Ughelli axis in Delta State.
