Lagos Calabar Highway: ‘Why is it cloaked in secrecy?’ Phrank Shaibu raises fresh questions

Phrank Shaibu, an aide to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has accused Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi, of engaging in secrecy in the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.

The project, which has been a subject of controversy, has brought heated exchange between the Federal Government and the Atiku camp.

In a fresh tweet on Wednesday, Shaibu faulted the period between which Umahi emerged as the minister of works and when he announced the company Hitech as the contractor to handle the road project, saying he boycotted the due process.

Atiku’s communications aide said while the project is meant for the people, Umahi hid under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) to shun the due process.

Earlier, Atiku berated the federal government for awarding the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar project to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech Construction Company Limited “without any evidence of competitive bidding or a decision by the Federal Executive Council (FEC)”.

Backing the former vice president, Shaibu wrote, “@DaveUmahi, an engineer was sworn in as Minister of Works on 21st August 2023. One month later, particularly on the 23rd September, 2023 he announced Hitech as the contractors for the project.

“Since @DaveUmahi said the project was the brainchild of @officialABAT , at what point did @daveumahi’s team prepare the design and acquire the right of way? Was the design done spiritually?

“They hid under the PPP arrangement to sidestep due process only to turn around in March 2024 to approve #1.06trillion as part payment to the contactor…we agree that the project is beneficial to the people but why is the process cloaked in secrecy?”