Minister of Works, David Umahi, has called on the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Abdulganiyu Adeyemi, to launch a full investigation into alleged land scams along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.
He made the call in Lagos yesterday during an inspection of the coastal road, part of the ministry’s review of ongoing federal projects in the South West.
Umahi said the Presidency had directed the Office of the Surveyor-General to work with state governors and the ministry to acquire land along the highway project. The aim is to serve the public interest, boost economic benefits, and ensure a return on investments.
The call follows claims made in 2024 by property developer Stella Okengwu, Chairman of Winhomes Global Services. She alleged that her multi-million-dollar investments along the corridor were demolished without proper compensation. She also accused Ministry of Works officials of demanding bribes to avoid demolition and claimed that some developers bribed for changes to the highway’s original route.
Okengwu said investors, including those abroad, suffered huge losses. “The government paid N25 to N30 million for properties that cost over N150 million to prepare with drainage, sand filling, and services. One family that invested over N300 million was paid just N20-something million. This is not compensation,” she said.
Umahi dismissed claims that the Federal Government was at fault, suggesting that some of the transactions might not have been legitimate. “Let her publish the layout of what she bought and who paid. I believe there is a scam there,” he said.
The minister also gave updates on the highway construction. He said Sections 1 and 2 were progressing well and that heavy rainfall had not damaged completed work. Rainwater even helped consolidate the soil, while only 2.5 kilometers of challenging stormwater areas remain under construction.
Umahi praised Hitech Construction Company for its work on Section 2, revealing that over 12 kilometers of concrete pavement had been completed. Concreting will continue to chainage 89 in the coming week. Additional equipment has been deployed to maintain progress. “With the mobilization and equipment here, Hitech can do one kilometer of the coastal highway per day. We are not worried about timing,” he said.
He reiterated the need for transparency and asked the State Controller of Works, Olukorede Keisha, to work with the media to give Nigerians weekly updates on the project. “I directed that two television stations be allowed to cover the work every week, and we will pay for it. This is for the benefit of our engineers and the people of Nigeria.
“When all this work is done and covered with pavement, no one will understand what happened. It’s important to organize coverage with maybe one TV and one newspaper so Nigerians can track the progress,” Umahi said.
