Lagos- Calabar Coastal road: Foreign nationals, Nigerians in Diaspora seek President Tinubu’s intervention
Lagos- Calabar Coastal road: Foreign nationals, Nigerians in Diaspora seek President Tinubu’s intervention. Six foreign nationals, including Americans, Chinese, Canadians, and Londoners, whose parcels of land are affected by the new diversion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road in Okun-Ajah, Lagos, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene by calling the Ministry of Works to order.

The affected persons held a press conference at The Continental Hotel, Lagos, yesterday, where they expressed disappointment and frustration said they invested in Nigeria due to President Tinubu’s campaign promises.

One American, Dr. Kimberlin Spark, who could not control her emotional, expressed worry that her investment might go down the drain if urgent steps were not taken to address the matter.

Spark said she had to take an available flight to Nigeria after reading news of the destruction of her parcels of land, which she bought through Winhomes Global Services Estate, in different media platforms.

She said “This is my 18th time in Nigeria.. When I got the information of Winhomes Global Services investment scheme and the coastal road that will come in the future, I was very excited and decided to invest in Nigeria and make it my second home. To my amazement, we heard of all that has been happening and how our estate investment have been demolished because of the diversion of the coastal road, from it’s original garzetted plan.

“I have reasons to suspect that some key people working with the Minister of Works are giving him improper information. I must say it is not a good image for the country as a whole. We appeal to the President to intervene because the situation is tearing me up”, she said in tears.

She was not alone in the lamentation, some Nigerians in Diaspora who also flew into the country from their respective habitations , said the planned diversion was contrary to the original 2006 gazzetted plan .

For Dr Arinze Xo, a Professor of Medicine in Canada, he noted that the divertion had further discouraged Nigerians in Diasporah from coming home. Lamenting, he said : ” I have been abroard for 23 years . I have come to a stage in my life where I want to be home. A lot of us want to come home and invest here.Nigeria is my home. I don’t have any other home in the world. But Nigeria has to be ready for Nigerians in Diasporah home coming and this is the time to proof it”.

Earlier, Managing Director, Winhomes Global Services Limited, Engr. Stella Okengwu, disclosed that on two occasions in a public stakeholders meeting held at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, in the months of April and May 2024,

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said he would revert to the 2006 original gazetted Lagos-Calabar Coastal road alignment at Okun-Ajah area of Lagos state. Miffed at the present development , she said ”How come he, suddenly in June 2024,diverted to a new alignment? We place it on record in the interest of justice, fairness, and equity that you cannot approbate and at the same time reprobate”.

Okengwu explained that the press conference became imperative to lay bare what she described as illegal coastal road re-alignment and to set the record straight with facts and figures surrounding the coastal road re-alignment vis-avis the illegal diversion and demolition of Winhomes estate owned by Nigerians in the diaspora.

She said ” To begin with, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is regulated originally by the 2006 gazette which was meant to be along Lekki-Epe express road but the minister of works affirmed that he is changing the Coastal Road alignment because he wants to avoid the shoreline where both MTN and 2 Africa cables are situated, but unfortunately these cables are not located within chanage 16-18 corridor (within Okun-Ajah) rather they are located at Okun-Mopo which is 7 kilometers away from Okun-Ajah where my company, Winhomes Global Service Estate is situated.

“My company, Winhomes Global Services Limited has a vast property that has all relevant documents ranging from Certificate of Occupancy, Governors Consent, Coastal Road right of Way Clearance amongst other legal documents and we have been enjoying good developmental relationship with the Okun-Ajah community where my company is.

“In fact, the coastal road was the main attraction for the Nigerians in the diaspora because of its proximity to the proposed coastal road and its attendant benefits. The initiative to create Winhomes as an investment portal/scheme for diaspora investment was to repatriate over $250m US dollars in foreign direct investment and create jobs for over 5000 young Nigerians. My company is over 700meters away from the shoreline which makes it legal and apt”.

Okengwu further frowned at the Ministry of Works allegation that her company’s documents, including the Certificate of Occupancy, were fake, describing the claim as not just untrue but misleading, inciteful, and defamatory.

“These statements could lead to a breach of peace and tarnish the reputation of the Lagos State Government. I possess all relevant documents, including the Certificate of Occupancy, Governor’s Consent, and Coastal Road right of Way clearance, which validate my company’s ownership and development of the property”, she maintained, calling for a public retraction of the statement.

She also debunked claim that the Coastal Road alignment was being changed to avoid the shoreline, where MTN and 2 Africa cables are situated, as incorrect. These cables acccoording to her,”are actually located 7 kilometers away from our property in Okun-Ajah.

” I appeal to President Bola Tinubu to mandate the Ministry of Works to revert to the original 2006 gazetted alignment for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project, as there are no cable hubs in the area, except for illegal encroachers. As Nigerians in the diaspora, we support the government when they follow due process”.

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