…Demands details of contracts, funding, procurement
Publisher of the Common Good Letter, Rev. David Ugolor, has hailed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to align sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the existing East-West Road in the Niger Delta, describing the move as a potential game-changer for the region.
Ugolor, however, urged the Federal Government to publish details of the proposed arrangement, including contract terms, funding sources, procurement procedures and implementation plans, warning that the initiative must not become another cycle of unfulfilled promises.
In a statement, he said the directive, if properly designed, transparently financed and effectively implemented, could become one of the most significant infrastructure decisions affecting the Niger Delta under the present administration.
According to him, a safe and durable East-West Road would improve connectivity, reduce transportation costs, boost regional trade, support agriculture and industry, attract investment and save lives.
Ugolor said the Common Good Letter had consistently called on Tinubu and the Federal Government to treat the road as a national economic priority.
He noted that although the renewed presidential attention was welcome, the project’s actual value should be measured by completed kilometres, road safety, transparent expenditure and tangible economic benefits rather than official announcements.
“The decision could become a defining issue in the 2027 presidential election—but its value must ultimately be measured by completed kilometres, safe roads, transparent expenditure and economic benefits, not announcements,” he said.
Ugolor, however, expressed concern that information available to the public remained incomplete, making it difficult to determine the precise scope of the proposed intervention.
He called on the Federal Government to clarify whether the directive involves realigning the coastal highway with specified sections of the existing East-West Road, reconstructing and expanding those sections under the coastal highway contract, varying an existing contract, or initiating a new procurement process requiring separate approvals.
He also asked the government to explain whether the project would involve coordination among existing East-West Road contractors, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), state governments and the contractor handling the coastal highway.
According to him, the clarification is necessary because several sections of the East-West Road are already covered by existing contracts, emergency interventions or projects being undertaken by different public institutions.
“Without a publicly available implementation framework, there is a serious risk of overlapping mandates, duplicated contracts, double funding and uncertainty over responsibility for delivery,” he warned.
The Common Good Letter publisher urged the Minister of Works to release a comprehensive East-West Road and Coastal Highway Integration Plan, detailing the revised alignment, affected sections, project kilometres, engineering considerations and estimated costs.
He also called for the publication of updated designs covering road pavement, drainage, flood control and climate resilience, alongside environmental and social assessments for communities that could be affected.
On financing, Ugolor asked the government to explain whether the expenditure had been captured in the 2026 federal budget or would require a supplementary appropriation.
He further demanded clarification on whether the project would be financed through direct federal funding, borrowing, private investment, concession arrangements or a combination of funding sources.
He said the government should disclose the relevant Federal Executive Council and National Assembly approvals, the procurement method to be adopted and whether the existing coastal highway contractor would execute the work or a competitive process would be used to select contractors.
Ugolor also called for the publication of details of existing East-West Road contracts, including contractors’ names, contract values, payments made, completion levels and outstanding obligations.
He said the government should explain how the proposed arrangement would affect existing contracts and prevent duplication of payments, while clearly defining the responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Works, NDDC, state governments and other institutions.
He further requested a detailed implementation timetable containing project milestones, completion dates, warranties, performance bonds and provisions for independent technical monitoring.
On the wider coastal highway financing arrangement, Ugolor said reports that the Federal Government would provide 30 per cent of the funding while foreign banks would provide the remaining 70 per cent required clarification.
He urged the government to establish whether the arrangement would also cover the newly aligned East-West Road sections, identify the participating financial institutions and disclose the material financing terms, including any sovereign guarantees or contingent liabilities.
The publisher stressed that any major change to a public infrastructure project must be backed by updated engineering studies, cost estimates, procurement approvals, financing arrangements and safeguards for affected communities.
He also called on the Minister of Works to convene a public technical and accountability briefing dedicated to the project.
According to him, the briefing should provide an authoritative implementation map and contract matrix showing the institution responsible for each section, the amount approved and paid, the work completed, outstanding milestones and expected completion dates.
“The people of the Niger Delta should not have to reconcile contradictory announcements to understand what government is doing on their most important regional highway,” he said.
While welcoming the policy direction, Ugolor insisted that the government must now provide the implementation plan, contracts, financing details and a measurable framework for delivery.
“The East-West Road must not remain a road of repeated promises, overlapping interventions and uncompleted contracts. It must become a transparent, climate-resilient economic corridor that moves people, businesses and the Niger Delta economy,” he added.
