Some indigenes of Ilaje in Ondo State have warned the federal government against the proposed diversion and excision of their communities from the coastal road construction, saying that such moved would not be taken lightly by them.
The people called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and redress the situation.
They lamented that the diversion was not only criminal but an insult against the people of the coastal communities and Ondo state, which is the fifth largest oil producing in the country.
The communities, through Committee of Lawyers and Stakeholders in Ondo State, while addressing journalists in Lagos on Thursday, alleged the marginalisation of the coastal areas from the legacy project of the President Tinubu’s administration.
They warned that the action would indirectly incur the wrath of the Ilaje communities.
The spokesman for the group, Dr Benson Enikuomehin, said what the minister of works was doing to the communities was an injustice, stressing that it must be addressed immediately.
“It is well known that, of all the coastal states in Nigeria, that Ondo State has, unarguably, the longest coastline, at about 80–100km,” he said.
He maintained that the group’s action is a prelude to further actions and that would be explored to correct the injustice, with legal action as the last resort.
“It is therefore reasonable that the Coastal Highway will pass through the coastline communities of Ondo State before getting to Delta State and on through the other states to Calabar,” he stated.
He noted that the argument put up by the minister of works that constructing the road through the coastal areas in Ondo State is more expensive is not tenable.
He said: “Available records and data reveal that the coastal road has now assumed a new name as “Inland Highway Road” when it comes to the Ondo State communities.
“This is courtesy of the Minister of Works and his Ministry.
“The road now passes through Oke-Upare in Ondo State, linking communities in Ovia North and Ovia West in Edo State, and accommodating the Gelegele community in Edo State, which is about 10–20km from the coastline.
“It is not in dispute that Edo State does not have a single coastal community that borders the sea.’’
Enikuomehin said the Federal Ministry of Works and the Minister have argued that the cost of constructing the road through these Ilaje communities is exorbitant.
“It has been erroneously canvassed that it will cost the Federal Government of Nigeria more money if the road were to traverse through the coastline of Ondo State, which is the Ilaje communities.
“This lame argument is against the weight of evidence in respect of the road,” he stated.
He maintained that available and indisputable facts reveal that navigating the road through Ugbonla in Ondo State to Escravos in Delta (on a straight line) will take about 60–75km, whereas the detour to inland in Edo from Ebute-Ipare-Ovia North, Ovia West – Gelegele in Edo State to Warri in Delta is about 130 – 150km.
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