Atiku to FG: Publish Lagos-Calabar coastal highway contract, payment records

Demands public hearing before NASS considers any additional financing for project

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Federal Government to publish contract documents and payment records for the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.

Atiku’s request follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive to reroute sections of the project through the existing East-West road. In a statement issued on Monday by Phrank Shaibu, director of strategic communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign council, Atiku said the route changes had raised questions about the original contract, payments already made and the financial implications of the revised alignment.

The ADC president candidate alleged that the government could be preparing to seek additional borrowing to fund payments connected to the coastal highway.

 “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,” he said.

Atiku linked the controversy to the administration’s removal of the petrol subsidy, stating that Nigerians should not bear the cost of additional borrowing without access to the relevant project accounts.

“He removed the petrol subsidy without protecting Nigerians from the blow. Families are still paying for that decision every day.

 “Now, his government has put a coastal highway plan before Nigerians in the budget, changed parts of it midway and, according to the intelligence we have received, may be preparing to ask the country to borrow billions more.

“Nigerians have suffered enough from this government’s trial and error. They cannot be made to pay for another changed promise without seeing the accounts.

“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.

The former Vice President demanded the publication of the original feasibility and environmental studies, route maps, bills of quantities, contract variations, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) approvals, payment certificates and any borrowing proposals related to the highway.

He also called for a public hearing before the national assembly considers any additional financing for the project.

Atiku described the reported route changes and possible additional borrowing as examples of what he described as policy inconsistency under Tinubu’s administration.

He said the government should account for the financial implications of any changes to the project rather than expect Nigerians to bear 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,” the ADC presidential candidate said.

“Announce a plan. Change it without a full accounting. Then present the public with a bigger bill. When capital spending is hidden from scrutiny, corruption has room to grow and the people suffer more.

 “An Atiku administration will budget capital projects transparently, account for every change in scope and cost, and subject spending to independent audit. 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.”