Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has slammed President Bola Tinubu for embarking on the construction of the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway, as well as spending N21billion to build a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing both projects as wasteful and corrupt.
According to Obasanjo, the two projects were avenues by the Tinubu led administration to siphon public funds adding they were misplaced priorities.
Obasanjo made his view known in his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’ which was unveiled on his recently celebrated 88th birthday,
In chapter six of the book, while reviewing the level of corruption in government within the two years of Tinubu’s administration, and how politicians have enriched themselves through awarding of contracts to their cronies, Obasanjo wrote that embarking on the projects at the time Nigerians are going through economic hardship could only be the handiwork of ‘small minds.’
“Typical examples of waste, corruption and misplaced priority are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal road on which the President had turned deaf ears to protests and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship to showcase the administration hitting the ground running and to show the importance of the office of the Vice-President. What small minds!”he wrote.
It is recalled that as soon as Tinubu assumed power as the President, the federal government through the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had awarded the construction of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway at the l cost of N4.93 billion per kilometre to Hitech Construction Company owned by Gilbert Chagoury, a long time friend and business partner of President Tinubu without allowing bidding from other construction companies.
Chagoury was alleged to have funded the campaign of the president during the presidential election and the contract was seen as a way of allowing him to recoup his funding.
About N1.06tn was immediately released for the commencement of phase one of the project which begins at Eko Atlantic and will terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
The award of the contract generated negative reactions from prominent Nigerians who condemned the president for awarding the contract at such huge cost without due process and at the time the nation’s economy is grasping for survival.