Aiyedatiwa Appeals to Tinubu, Umahi Over Coastal Road Alignment — Poroye
Coastal Road: Aiyedatiwa Appeals to Tinubu, Umahi, Hitech Over Ilaje, Ese-Odo Inclusion — Poroye
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has repeatedly appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and Hitech Construction Company to reconsider the alignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road to accommodate the Ilaje and Ese-Odo axes, the Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, has said.
Poroye disclosed this while calling for greater federal intervention in the coastal communities, noting that the governor had consistently raised concerns over the current design of the highway and its implications for the affected areas.
He urged federal ministers, senators and other political leaders from Ondo State to complement the governor’s efforts by engaging relevant authorities to ensure that the coastal communities benefit from the federal infrastructure project.
“I can confirm authoritatively that Governor Aiyedatiwa has, on several occasions, consistently appealed to the President, the Minister of Works and Hitech Construction Company to reconsider the current design of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road to accommodate other axes of the coastal region,” Poroye stated.
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The OSOPADEC chairman stressed that efforts to secure the inclusion of Ilaje and Ese-Odo should not be left to the governor alone, urging the state’s federal representatives to use their positions to advance the interests of the affected communities.
He cautioned against turning the controversy surrounding the road alignment into political blame-trading, insisting that all stakeholders should work together to find a lasting solution to the concerns raised by the coastal communities.
Poroye called on federal lawmakers and ministers from Ondo State to intensify engagement with the Minister of Works and other relevant authorities to reconsider the alignment and address the developmental needs of the oil-producing areas.
He further proposed a comprehensive special intervention fund from the Federal Government to address critical infrastructure and environmental challenges in the communities if the coastal highway could not be extended to adequately serve the affected areas.
According to him, the proposed intervention should cover shoreline protection, road construction, waterway dredging, flood control and other essential infrastructure needed to improve living conditions in the coastal region.
Poroye maintained that a coordinated approach involving the state government, federal representatives and other stakeholders was necessary to address the environmental and developmental challenges facing Ondo State’s coastal communities.
