Category: PM News

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kebbi Council, has defended the state government’s record on workers’ welfare.

The NLC Chairman, Alhaji Murtala Usman, stated this while briefing newsmen on Monday in Birnin Kebbi in response to an Independence Day address by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Abubakar Malami.

Usman said the NLC acknowledged the commitments contained in Malami’s address, including proposals on minimum wage, promotions, pensions and gratuities, transportation, healthcare, housing, retirement age and workers’ participation in governance.

He, however, said the union could not accept what he described as sweeping allegations that Kebbi workers were generally suffering because the government failed to pay pensions, implement promotions or unlawfully deducted workers’ salaries.

‘Trade unionism is not conducted through rumour. It is conducted through evidence, negotiation, collective action where necessary, and institutional engagement,’ he said.

The NLC chairman said the union had maintained continuous engagement with the state government since the assumption of office of Gov. Nasir Idris in 2023 on issues affecting workers.

He said the engagement had been based on collective bargaining, social dialogue, consultation and negotiated settlement of industrial disputes.

According to him, the union had raised several issues with government, while some demands had been addressed and others remained under negotiation.

Usman said the state government had approved and implemented a minimum wage of N75,000, which, according to him, was above the N70,000 federal minimum wage benchmark.

He described the development as a significant response to workers’ demands, while stressing that it did not mean the struggles for improved welfare and purchasing power were over.

‘With inflation and the rising cost of living, the NLC will continue to demand further improvements in workers’ purchasing power and conditions of service,’ he said.

Usman acknowledged Malami’s proposal to pay workers a minimum wage of N110,000 if elected governor in 2027.

He, however, said political promises on workers’ welfare should be assessed based on cost, funding, sustainability, implementation mechanisms and timelines.

‘Announcing a higher figure during an election campaign is easy. But the real test is the capacity and willingness to negotiate, fund, implement and sustain such commitments when in government,’ he said.

The labour leader said workers deserved policies that could be implemented rather than ‘merely attractive figures and campaign rhetoric.’

He said the union would continue to demand more from government while acknowledging positive interventions where they had been made.

Usman listed several interventions by the present administration, including the completion and equipping of the state Secretariat, payment of the N75,000 minimum wage and timely payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities.

Others, he said, included the payment of responsibility allowance to primary school teachers, recruitment of 2,568 health workers and 2,000 qualified teachers.

He added that the government had extended the retirement age of teachers, medical and veterinary doctors from 60 to 65 years and the period of service from 35 to 40 years.

According to him, the administration has also renovated 25 general hospitals and revitalised 117 primary healthcare centres, while recruiting 500 GAVI personnel into the state payroll.

He said other interventions included the strengthening of health-sector departments, road construction and rehabilitation, provision of transport buses and subsidised transportation, as well as annual distribution of grains and farm inputs to workers.

The NLC chairman further cited interventions in the judiciary, including improvement of conditions of service and judicial infrastructure.

He said the government had rehabilitated 320 junior and senior secondary schools, constructed 30 new junior secondary schools and 18 senior secondary schools, and supplied more than 2,000 desktop computers to 100 schools.

Usman said the administration had also implemented the new minimum wage for staff of the Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero (KSUSTA) and Kebbi State Polytechnic, including consequential salary adjustments for KSUSTA staff.

He stressed, however, that the interventions did not extinguish the legitimate demands of workers.

‘The NLC is not blind to the challenges confronting workers. We know that the purchasing power of workers has been weakened by inflation and the rising cost of living.

‘We know that workers have legitimate concerns regarding promotions, allowances, career progression, pensions, gratuities and other conditions of service.

‘We will continue to pursue these issues,’ he said.

Usman reiterated that the NLC remained independent and non-partisan, stressing that the union would neither become an appendage of the government nor an instrument of political opposition.

He said the union would negotiate with the government, commend positive interventions, demand improvements where necessary, challenge government whenever workers’ rights were infringed and mobilise workers lawfully when collective action became necessary.

The NLC chairman urged Malami and other political actors in the state to base their campaigns on facts and implementable programmes.

‘ If there are genuine cases of workers whose salaries have been unlawfully deducted, whose promotions have not been implemented, or whose pensions and gratuities remain outstanding, let the evidence be presented,’ he said.

He said the NLC was ready to examine and pursue genuine grievances through established collective-bargaining and grievance-resolution mechanisms.

Usman urged political actors to avoid using workers’ welfare as a tool for partisan political manipulation.

He said workers were entitled to accurate information, fair treatment, decent work, fair remuneration, career progression, social protection, security of employment and timely payment of legitimate entitlements.

‘ Let the political contest be about who can deliver better conditions of service, not about who can make the loudest allegation.

‘ Let candidates present implementable programmes, not merely attractive promises. Let workers judge the record, policies and capacity to implement them,’ the NLC chairman said.

Many Federal Government workers have continued to express concern over the high income taxes deducted from their salaries monthly through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) model.

The civil servants, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said that it was frustrating, given the country’s current economic situation.

They demanded an immediate reduction in the PAYE tax deducted from their monthly salaries.

They said that the huge amount of tax deducted from their monthly salaries had reduced their purchasing power due to the increasing prices of goods and services.

Mrs Erica Eniola, a civil servant, urged the Federal Government to revisit the issue of income tax, which had placed a huge burden on the finances of civil servants.

She said that the new minimum wage had not substantially improved the monthly earnings of government workers, yet the taxes remained high.

‘Imagine a level 15 officer with a monthly salary of less than N400,000 paying almost N60,000 in tax. It is alarming.

‘In spite of huge taxes deducted from salaries on a monthly basis, government workers still pay Value Added Tax (VAT) and other forms of taxes on certain goods and services, making it multiple taxation.’

Mr Ibrahim Abbas, a pharmacist, complained that policies of the Federal Government appeared to be designed against federal civil servants.

Abbas said that the idea of deducting income tax from the monthly salaries of health workers and still taxing their call allowances was unfair.

He urged the Federal Government to urgently revisit the issue of taxes paid by civil servants and also initiate policies to improve their welfare.

‘I do not even see any reason to justify the high tax regime that we are subjected to in recent times.

‘While we were expecting improvement in our welfare, every policy from the removal of fuel subsidy to the floating of the naira appears to be against government workers.

‘The Federal Government will need to take a second look at this issue of high taxes,’ he said.

Mr Aliu Sule complained that there was no infrastructure on the ground to justify the huge taxes being deducted from the salaries of civil servants.

‘We still provide most necessities for ourselves. From security to electricity and water, we devise ways to provide all these for ourselves, so there is no justification to increase our taxes,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has begun a six-week review of Nigeria’s tax reforms to address implementation gaps, ambiguities and unintended consequences.

The exercise will review key areas of the tax regime, including VAT thresholds, withholding tax, capital gains treatment and multiple taxation, with recommendations expected to form part of the Finance Bill 2027.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said this in Abuja recently, while inaugurating the Technical Subcommittee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.

Oyedele, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, said the implementation of the new laws had exposed areas requiring clarification, refinement and further reforms.

According to him, the real test begins when the law meets the economy, as businesses interpret it, administrators implement it, investors respond to it and citizens experience it.

‘Implementation inevitably reveals areas requiring clarification, refinement or further reform,’ he said.

Oyedele said the government was moving from fundamental reforms to continuous improvement, stressing that the latest exercise was not intended to reverse the 2025 reforms but to address problems identified during implementation.

Also, public servants under the aegis of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) began a three-day warning strike on Friday.

They urged the Federal Government to slash the price of petrol to N500 and approve a new wage award for workers.

In a statement, Gbenga Olowoyo, the National Secretary of the JNPSNC, said the council had mobilised workers to embark on the industrial action because President Bola Tinubu failed to announce a drastic cut in petrol prices.

Olowoyo, who is also the General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), said that Tinubu also failed to announce a new national minimum wage in his Independence Day speech.

‘The critical issues requiring urgent attention are reduction of fuel price to N500 per litre, and approval of a wage award for Nigerian workers to cushion the effects of the prevailing harsh economic conditions,’ he said.

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) have insisted on the importance of transparency and access to credible information.

This was disclosed in Lagos during the commemoration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026, tagged ‘Freedom of Information in the Age of Disinformation: Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever’.

The Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Mr Lanre Arogundade, said public institutions have a responsibility to make credible information available clearly and to respond appropriately to legitimate requests.

Speaking on the role of lawyers in the implementation of the FOI Act, Mr Alimi Adamu, Principal Partner at Adamu and Adamu and Co. (Legal Practitioners), stated that the role of lawyers in implementing the Act was to advise the public on the right of access, how to prepare information requests, to apply to court for judicial review upon wrongful denial of access to information, and to enforce judgments against public institutions.

He further said, ‘Lawyers help to design internal frameworks for record keeping. They assist in compiling the mandatory annual FOI compliance report for submission to the Attorney-General of the Federation.’

The Executive Director of Illuminate Nigeria Development Network, Ms Anikeade Funke-Treasure, delivered a paper on the role of the media in the effective implementation of the FOI Act. She said, ‘Accuracy is cheaper than litigation. Bad reporting, retractions and defamation suits are what bankrupt newsrooms. We must overhaul media training curricula; trainees should be taught how to draft FOI requests for routine beats.’

Media professionals, lawyers, civil liberties organisations and other stakeholders observed that despite the existence of the FOI Act for over 15 years, compliance by public institutions across all levels of government remains poor. The recommendation at the forum was that the government at all levels should demonstrate stronger commitment to the effective implementation of the FOI Act.

L -R Mr Alimi Adams, principal partner Adamu and Adamu and co.( Legal Practitioner), Ms Anikeade funke Treasure, Mr Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director,International Press Centre (IPC)

A senior leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) who was allegedly planning massive terrorists attack in Southern Nigeria, Abdussamad Ohida, has been killed alongside his foot solders in a forest in Owo town, Ondo State.

Ohida was killed at the weekend in an operation conducted by a combined team of troops of the Nigerian Army, Department of Department of State Services (DSS) personnel and officers of Western Nigeria Security Network aka Amotekun, according to security sources.

The sources said Ohida who was also known as Anwar was plotting massive terrorist attacks in some southern states before he was killed.

He was reportedly killed alongside many members of the terrorist organization by the security forces who led a surprise attack on their forest hideout.

The eliminated ISWAP leader previously served as deputy to ISWAP Central Nigeria leader Abu Ikrimah, also known as Abu Uwais.

Ikrimah was arrested by the DSS in 2023.

After Ikrimah’s arrest, Ohida reportedly assumed leadership of ISWAP activities across parts of North central and southern parts of the country, where he subsequently played a key role in the planning, coordination and execution of terrorist operations.

The DSS gathered intelligence on the plan by Ohida to attack to attack innocent persons during the forthcoming Yuletide through the interrogation of Abu Uwais, according to the sources

‘The plan was to attack civilians during the festive period and ultimately disrupt the 2027 general elections. This Intelligence was corroborated by intelligence partners from the United Kingdom, who supported the elimination operation,’ offered one of the sources.

The source also revealed that Ohida masterminded the 31st December 2025, invasion of Ipele Divisional Police Station, Owo, Ondo State during which AK-47 rifles were stolen before the police station was destroyed with an explosive.

The source also linked him to the 28 July 2022 Suleja-Zuba Road, Niger State military checkpoint attack in which several soldiers, officers and civilians were killed.

Ohida was also linked to the July 11, 2022, attack on Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja; the 23rd April, 2022 attack on Ogaminana Police Station, Adavi LGA, Kogi State, which resulted in the death of five police officers, and the February 7, 2022, attack on Okene Area Command police station.

‘The terrorist planned and executed the 24th December, 2020 attack on a Naval checkpoint in Okene, Kogi State, which resulted in the death of two naval officers, not to mention the several attacks he launched across parts of the country,’ he added.

‘We may not immediately realize it, but the elimination of Abdussamad Ohida represents a significant disruption to ISWAP’s leadership structure, operational network and expansion efforts in central and southern Nigeria.

‘Ohida’s elimination, coming a few months after after the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bilal al-Minuki, is a very big blow to ISWAP’s efforts to expand its operational presence in Nigeria, and underscores the growing efficiency of our security services,’ the source declared.

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of a six-man kidnapping gang accused of abducting a resident and holding him captive for three days in Port Harcourt.

The suspects were arrested following an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU, at a waterfront hideout in the Borikiri area of the state capital.

The command’s spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.

According to the statement, the victim, identified as Hassan, was abducted on September 6, 2026, around the vicinity of Fidelity Bank, Garrison, Port Harcourt.

He was subsequently taken to Igbugulu Waterside, Borikiri, where he was held for three days before his relatives reportedly paid N10.3 million in ransom for his release.

The statement said the police received information about the abduction on September 7 and immediately commenced an operation to locate the kidnappers.

It read, ‘The Rivers State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of a six-man kidnapping syndicate involved in the abduction of one Mr Hassan, who is a resident of Rivers State.

‘On 7th September 2026, at about 1000hrs, the Command received credible information regarding the kidnapping of the victim, who was abducted on 6th September 2026 in the vicinity of Fidelity Bank, Garrison, Port Harcourt.

‘The victim was reportedly taken to Igbugulu Waterside, Borikiri, Port Harcourt, where he was held captive for three days before he was released following the payment of ?10.3 million ransom by his relatives.

‘Upon receipt of the information, operatives of the Command Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU-AKU) immediately swung into action and commenced intelligence-led operations, which resulted in the arrest of two suspected members of the syndicate.’p

The police identified the suspects as 24-year-old Victor Ifeanyi, also known as ‘Big Boby’, from Aguleri Community, Otuocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, and 36-year-old Aniekan Okon Michael, also known as ‘Duff Man’, from Ikot Ukpor, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Agabe said preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects had confessed to alleged involvement in the kidnapping.

She added that the suspects disclosed that the gang had six members and used a white mini-bus, popularly known as a Keke bus, during the operation.

‘The Command has intensified efforts to apprehend the remaining members of the syndicate and bring them to justice,’ the spokesperson added.

The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, urged residents to provide the police with credible information that could assist in identifying and arresting suspected criminals.

Adepoju assured members of the public that information supplied to the police would be treated confidentially.

He also said the command would continue to use intelligence-led operations to dismantle kidnapping syndicates and other criminal networks in the state, while urging residents to remain calm and support security agencies.

Another killing in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, in a suspected cult clash, barely two days after two persons were murdered in the town, has intensified widespread panic.

The latest incident occurred on Sunday morning at Ita-Olokan area of Osogbo, where a man identified as Taoheed Ojoiku was reportedly killed during a clash between rival cult groups.

The clash, which occurred around 9:30am, caused panic in the area as residents scampered for safety.

It was gathered that Ojoiku sustained severe injuries during the attack and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was later confirmed dead by medical personnel.

Although details surrounding the attack were still sketchy as of press time, sources said it may not be unconnected with the killing of two persons at Owo Eba area of Ilesa Garage, Osogbo, on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, suspected cultists had attacked the Owo Eba area, killing two persons, including a man popularly known as Small Rugged, while four others sustained gunshot injuries.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers invaded the area in broad daylight and opened fire before fleeing, leaving residents, motorists and traders in panic. The incident forced many shop owners to shut their businesses while some residents stayed indoors for fear of reprisal.

Confirming the Friday attack, the Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, said two persons were killed on the spot, with one identified as Small Rugged, while the identity of the other victim was yet to be ascertained.

Ojelabi said four other persons who sustained gunshot injuries were rescued by police operatives and taken to hospital for treatment.

He added that the Commissioner of Police had deployed tactical teams to the affected areas with a mandate to arrest those behind the attacks, noting that investigation was ongoing.

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, under the auspices of the Middle-Belt Pan Nigerian Forum, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Nigeria’s security agencies for what it described as decisive and proactive action against terror.

The commendation follows a statement by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, which praised Nigeria’s response to recent attacks in the Middle Belt and called for sustained protection of communities in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State.

In a post on its official X account, the Bureau said: ‘The United States commends Nigeria’s strong response to the latest attacks from Fulani militant groups. We will continue to work with the Nigerian government to protect Christians in the Middle Belt. We urge Nigeria to continue the momentum and defend the Barkin Ladi communities in particular.’

Reacting, the Forum said the acknowledgement from Washington is evidence that the efforts of the Tinubu administration, coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser, are beginning to yield results.

Convener of the Forum, Dr. Danladi Ceceko Dangana, said the battle against terror is not yet won, but that victory is in sight. He urged Nigerians to rally round the government and the security agencies so that the country can be made safe for every citizen.

He called on the Armed Forces, the Police and other security agencies to sustain decisive operations against bandits, kidnappers and Boko Haram, warning that the American commendation must not be treated as a final stamp that the war has been won.

‘This commendation is welcome, but it is not a certificate of completion,’ Dr. Dangana said.

‘More work remains if every part of Nigeria is to be safe, and if every person, regardless of religion or ethnicity, is to live and work anywhere in this country without the fear of being attacked or killed by terrorists.’

The Forum singled out Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for commendation, citing his role in building synergy among the security agencies and his diplomatic engagement with the United States. It said that engagement has helped keep US-Nigeria relations from being strained, despite Washington’s stated concern over the killing of Christians in Nigeria.

According to the Coalition, the National Security Adviser is backing his promise and commitment to a safer country for Christians with concrete action, not rhetoric.

Dr. Dangana said the Middle-Belt Pan Nigerian Forum will continue to partner with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the security agencies until the fight against terror is won.

Signed:

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations

under the auspices of the Middle-Belt Pan Nigerian Forum

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has called on religious and regional leaders to strengthen unity and promote peaceful coexistence as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.

Hamzat also urged Nigerians to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying continuity in governance would help sustain the administration’s development programmes and policies.

He spoke at the formal turbaning of elder statesman, Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi (OON), as the Baba Adinni of Yorubaland, at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos.

The ceremony, organised by the Council of Islamic Preachers, also featured the installation of Chief Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo as the Iya Adinni of Yorubaland.

Addressing political stakeholders, traditional rulers and religious leaders at the event, Hamzat stressed the importance of regional cohesion to national stability, particularly as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said the Tinubu administration had established a foundation for development, arguing that retaining the President in office would provide policy continuity and reduce disruptions associated with changes in government.

The deputy governor urged religious leaders to use their positions to promote peace, tolerance and unity, noting that their influence could help foster stability across communities and the country.

Speaking on the conferment of the title on Olusi, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Dr Seyi Bamigbade, described the elder statesman as deserving of the honour.

Bamigbade said the installation formed part of activities marking Olusi’s 90th birthday and recognised his longstanding contributions to community development and peaceful coexistence.

He noted that Olusi had, over the years, promoted peace across communities and maintained relationships spanning political circles and government institutions.

Also speaking, Dr Samuel Mayuwon Ajose commended the Council of Islamic Preachers for selecting Olusi for the traditional Islamic leadership position.

Ajose said the appointment of a widely respected elder statesman would help strengthen religious harmony and social cohesion across Yorubaland.

The ceremony, which celebrated the Islamic heritage and traditions of the Southwest, attracted prominent government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders and political stakeholders.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, served as the Chief Host of the event.

Police operatives have arrested two suspected cultists over alleged murder of their colleague simply identified as Godfrey at Jesse Main Market, Ethiope West LGA of Delta State.

The two suspects were arrested on Thursday by the operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit of the command, Delta Police Command spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Warri.

According to him, the two suspects were arrested based on information gotten from a viral video.

Edafe said the police team stormed the suspected criminals hideout in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area (LGA) and effected the arrest.

‘Following a viral video of some suspected cultists celebrating the murder of another suspected cultist, the police operatives stormed their hideouts and arrested two of them.

‘The duo were arrested in connection with the cult-related killing of a 25-year-old man identified simply as Godfrey at Jesse Main Market, Ethiope West LGA on March 24, 2026.

‘One battle axe, four cutlasses and one hammer were recovered during the operation,’ he said.

The Delta Police Command spokesperson said that preliminary investigation revealed that one of the fleeing suspects was vying for number one position in Aro Bagger confraternity.

Edafe said the suspect, therefore, needed to murder a rival cult member for him to attain the position.

He said that the suspect who was currently at large, connived with the two detained suspects and a friend to the victim, who is also on the run to perpetrate the attack.

Edafe said efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects were on top gear, adding that the arrested culprits were assisting the police with useful information.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has rejected claims that President Bola Tinubu influenced the award of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to Hitech Construction Company, saying he alone was responsible for the procurement decision.

Umahi made the clarification on Sunday while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, amid continuing questions over the procurement process, funding and the choice of Hitech for the multibillion-naira project.

According to the minister, Tinubu never instructed him to hand the project to the company.

‘The president never asked me to give it to Hitech. Till today, the president will not tell you that he called me to say, ‘Give this project to Hitech.’ Never!

‘Don’t forget that I also have my integrity. Don’t also forget that I have a journey of life and that I’m accountable for any decision I take as Dave Umahi.’

Umahi also dismissed allegations that the coastal highway was being used as a vehicle for money laundering by the administration.

He explained that Hitech was chosen because of its previous experience in dealing with coastal erosion and its work in restoring parts of Victoria Island.

The minister said the procurement process used for the project was permissible under Nigerian law, arguing that the law provided for different methods depending on the circumstances surrounding a project.

‘Can we talk about the procurement first because that’s the first thing you asked? There are three kinds of procurement, and it’s allowed by the law of the National Assembly.

‘We have the Kind of procurement where you advertise; we have the restrictive selective tendering where you can call, maybe if the project is very urgent, about five to six companies, run it through the BPP, ask them to qualify them, return them, then go for commercial bidding,’ he noted.

On why Hitech emerged as the preferred company, Umahi referred to its earlier intervention in Lagos, particularly its work on coastal erosion.

‘Do you know how long it took the President, when he was a governor, to invite Hitech (Construction Company)? Hitech initially resisted, but their methodology is what killed the ocean menace and then restored Victoria Island. That’s the reason why we did this special procurement using Hitech.’

The minister also dismissed suggestions that Tinubu’s relationship with the owner of Hitech, Lebanese-Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury, played a role in the award.

‘Have you lived with your enemy before? Does it matter if they are friends or not friends? It doesn’t matter because it has nothing to do with my procurement. I take full responsibility for all my decisions.’

Umahi further argued that the President had no reason to interfere in the procurement process after assigning the project to the Ministry of Works.

He said the project had to pass through the Bureau of Public Procurement before the relevant processes could be concluded.

‘Again, why would the President be involved? He gave me the job to do. Do you know the process by which projects are approved? It has to pass through the Bureau of Public Procurement. They have to look at it.’

Responding to questions about why the coastal highway project was not taken to the National Assembly for approval, the former Ebonyi State governor said parliamentary approval was necessary for the borrowing arrangement, rather than the procurement procedure itself.

‘Why should it go to the National Assembly? That’s not the procurement procedure. It doesn’t have to go to the National Assembly. It is the borrowing plan that has to go to the Assembly.’

Umahi also provided details of the infrastructure being incorporated into the coastal highway project to address flooding and improve access for communities and property owners along the route.

He said the Federal Government was constructing hydraulic channels and service lanes to move floodwater towards the lagoon.

‘What we are doing is that at every 50 metres, we are creating channels from the Southern part of the coastline, that is, from the ocean side, and we are taking it to the northern part of the coastal highway, which is where the lagoon is.

‘The Lagos State government has several channels running from point to point, taking floodwaters to the lagoon. Some of these channels are blocked. Some have not been fully constructed to take the surrounding drainages and evacuate the water.’

According to Umahi, the service lanes would serve a dual purpose by helping to address flooding while also improving movement for residents and property owners along the corridor.

‘What we are doing now is to create service lanes. So, we are not just trying to solve the problem of the flooding. We are also making life very easy for the people of Lagos State who have properties within that location. So we are creating very serious hydraulic channels in the form of drainages.’

On the expected lifespan of the coastal highway, Umahi said the road was designed to remain functional for decades with relatively low maintenance requirements.

‘It will last between 50 and 100 years with low maintenance.’