The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidate for 2023, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the lack of proper notification as regards the demolition of properties in the Oniru corridor, including parts of Lagos State’s landmark, as well as tourist and recreational attractions, in order to make way for the Coastal Highway.

According to Atiku, the Tinubu-led government’s bad choice regarding the Lagos-Calabar Highway is one of the major reasons behind Nigeria’s continuous failure to draw in foreign direct investment.

Atiku claimed in a statement issued on Sunday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, that President Bola Tinubu and Gilbert Chagoury, the owner of Hitech, the contractor in charge of the highway project, are the only reasons why the Coastal Highway project is moving more quickly.

Atiku added that the contract was granted in violation of procurement regulations. He further highlighted that the involvement of President Bola Tinubu’s son and his associates on the boards of companies belonging to Gilbert Chagoury presents a clear conflict of interest.

He stated, “The fact that President Bola Tinubu’s son and his surrogates are on the board of companies owned by Gilbert Chagoury constitutes a conflict of interest.

The former Vice President noted that “Tinubu’s son, Seyi, is a director on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, which manufactures ceramic tiles and sanitary towels.

The statement partly read, “The former Vice President restated that it has become obvious even to the undiscerning that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is being done in a hurry purely because of the business relationship between Tinubu and Gilbert Chagoury, the owner of Hitech, the contractor that was awarded the contract for the highway project in contravention of the procurement laws. It is on record that this project is the most expensive single project ever embarked upon by the Nigerian government.

“The fact that it is happening at a time when Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis ever is a red flag.

“To add insult to injury, this project that is being done more than $13bn was awarded without competitive bidding. From all indications, the so-called Badagry-Sokoto highway would be awarded similarly at an enormous cost to taxpayers purely because Tinubu has put his interest ahead of the Nigerian people.”

“Atiku said the demolition of tourist and recreational facilities and other properties within the Oniru corridor, including parts of Landmark, without ample notice, is one of the reasons foreign direct investments continue to elude the country.

He argued that “rather than improving the ease of doing business, the Tinubu administration had shown to the world that his personal business interest and that of his family would always be prioritized over and above national interest.”

Atiku noted that investors observe the treatment of local businesses and would avoid regions where their investments lack protection.

The former PDP presidential candidate furthered , “Tinubu has been globetrotting in search of foreign direct investments. He claims to have secured over $30 billion from various companies, but none has been forthcoming. Rather, all manufacturing firms have been posting heavy losses while some are exiting due to his poorly implemented exchange rate unification policy with even Aliko Dangote describing it as a huge mess at the recent annual general meeting of Dangote Sugar Refinery.

“The IMF in its latest report stated that Nigeria will by the end of the year become the 4th largest economy in Africa behind South Africa, Egypt and Algeria, a disgraceful development for a nation which was the largest in Africa by a mile when the PDP left the stage in 2015.

“Investors are seeing how local businesses are being treated and will not come to a place where their investments will not be protected. In saner climes, businesses such as Landmark would have been given at least two years’ notice for effective planning. But Tinubu’s eagerness to satisfy his business partners impaired his ability to coordinate the project properly.

“The awarding of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway was rushed; the environmental impact assessment report was not even completed; the right of way for the 700 km stretch of the highway project was not secured; it was converted from a PPP to a government-funded project within the twinkle of an eye. The N500m that was approved by the National Assembly for the project was ignored, while over N1tn was released by Tinubu’s administration without approval from the National Assembly.”

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, have charged the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, to ensure adequate power supply or vacate the Southeast for others who can light up the region.

IPOB accused the EEDC of defrauding people of the Southeast through exorbitant billing and an estimated billing system.

This was contained in a statement signed by its spokesman, Emma Powerful.

The separatist group vowed to shut down EEDC’s offices in the Southeast if electricity supply is not normalized in the region.

The statement reads partly: “Following the abysmal power supply from Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in the Southeast, we the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the indomitable leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU calls on EEDC to provide adequate electricity in the Southeast or exit the region for reliable companies to take over.

“EEDC is defrauding her consumers with exorbitant electricity bills without supplying the power. The company has refused to give its consumers energy prepaid electricity meters but keeps giving illegal estimated bills.

“In many Communities in the Southeast, EEDC gives community bills running in the hundreds of thousands of Naira. Whether the light was provided or not, any village that didn’t pay the illegal estimated bills will have the irregular light supply disconnected.

“Communities buy their own power transformers and electricity cables at the same time pay corrupt EEDC companies to link power to the community. Afterwards, EEDC will bill the same village for the same power supply.

“EEDC dismantled some Community’s faulty transformers for repairs and maintenance but failed to return it for years some 10 years and some 5 years till date those transformers were not restored nor seen.

“EEDC’s cup is full and we are going to show them that people are owners of the region and they are reaping Ndigbo off with abysmal power supply and exorbitant bills. How can our people be paying for lights they did not consume? How wicked is EEDC and its management? IPOB calls on EEDC to stop defrauding our people exit the Southeast Region or provide lights to the citizens

“IPOB is calling for steady lights in the region by EEDC, if they continue with the abysmal light supply in the South East, IPOB will have no option but to shut down EEDC offices in the South East in the shortest possible time.”

• BCS Bishop confirms Archbishop, others missing

Abia and Anambra State Police Commands have disagreed over the alleged kidnap of the Archbishop of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, Bishop Uka Uka Osim, his wife, son and three other priests in his entourage.

While the Anambra Police Command denied knowledge of the incident, its Abia State counterpart confirmed it and said emphatically that the incident occurred in Anambra State.

It was gathered that the Archbishop and those in his entourage were kidnapped while traveling from Abia to Awka, Anambra State.

The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement on Saturday said, “Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that from inquiries made on the above news from our respective Area Commands, Police Divisional Headquarters, and otherwise, there is no such record of any incident as mentioned in the state.

“The Command has been relatively calm as police and other security agencies are strategically positioned in many areas of the state, while some operatives are on crime prevention patrol aimed to address any untoward situations.

“Given the above, the Command calls on members of the public to assist us with information regarding the above-mentioned incident if such happened, this will enable us to embark on the investigation, please.”

But the Abia State Police Command on Sunday clarified that the abduction of the Archbishop and those in his entourage occurred in Anambra State, not Abia as earlier reported by some sections of the media.

The spokesman of the command, ASP Maureen Chinaka, who spoke in reaction to the incident, revealed that one of the Aba’s Bishops confirmed the abduction.

She said however, the precise location or area in Anambra where the priests were kidnapped was not revealed.

The Abia PPRO said, “Based on our findings, the alleged kidnap of the Archbishop of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star occurred in Anambra State.

“This was confirmed by one of the Bishops of the church in Aba.”

The Advocate learnt that abductors of the Archbishop and members of his entourage have yet to make any contact with members of their families and the church since May 1 when they embarked on the evangelical journey from Abia to Anambra state.

The development has thrown both members of  the church and their immediate families into confusion and anxiety  even as prayers have been intensified to seek God’s intervention for them.