PANDEF flays Lagos-Calabar highway diversion – Daily Trust

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has rejected the federal authorities’s determination to divert the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway from its authentic coastal alignment to the present East-West Road via Ondo and Edo states.
The group, nevertheless, demanded a return to the unique coastal alignment.
Addressing journalists in Benin on Tuesday, PANDEF National Youth Leader, DonBen Donyegha, described the federal authorities determination as a betrayal of the venture’s function and the coastal oil-bearing communities whose sources contribute considerably to Nigeria’s financial system.
The federal authorities had attributed the diversion to troublesome terrain, deep pits and building prices in elements of Ogun and Ondo states.
He, nevertheless, argued that the choice would exclude a number of communities initially anticipated to profit from the coastal highway.
He mentioned the venture was conceived to attach Lagos via the littoral states and Niger Delta communities to Calabar, offering improved connectivity for communities which have endured a long time of environmental air pollution, fuel flaring and underdevelopment arising from oil exploration.
According to him, the engineering challenges shouldn’t be used as an excuse to disclaim the area vital infrastructure.
Donyegha warned that diverting the route would deepen the sensation of exclusion amongst Niger Delta communities.
He referred to as for clear consultations with host communities, state governments and regional stakeholders, in addition to public affirmation that each one littoral oil-bearing communities initially meant to profit from the venture would nonetheless be served by an applicable coastal route.