PHOTO: Road from Igbokoda, Headquarters of Ilaje LGA through Akintubuwa across ALAPE RIVER to Ebute-Upare up to ARAROMI SEASIDE. The Road was constructed by Dr. Olusegun Agagu ‘s Government between 2004 to 2008.
By Our Reporter
Ilaje Omuro Community Connect has rejected any proposed diversion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road from its original alignment, insisting that the Ilaje coastline has no inherent geographical disadvantage that should justify its exclusion from the project.
The organisation called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to ensure fairness, transparency and justice in the implementation of the coastal highway project, warning against any alteration driven by political considerations or narrow interests.
In a statement signed by B.A. Omobone, Esq., on behalf of the organisation, Ilaje Omuro Community Connect maintained that any change to the road’s original alignment must be justified by transparent technical assessments, verifiable engineering considerations and the overriding public interest.
The group stressed that infrastructure development should connect communities and expand economic opportunities rather than deepen marginalisation or deny coastal populations their fair share of national development.
“Our position remains clear: development should connect communities, not exclude them; infrastructure should unlock opportunities, not deepen marginalisation,” the statement said.
The organisation emphasised that the people of Ilaje were not opposed to progress but were demanding a fair alignment that recognises their geographical terrain, respects the original project design and safeguards their economic future.
It declared that the Ilaje coastline should not be excluded from the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project on the grounds of terrain without credible technical evidence to support such a decision.
According to the group, the coastline possesses considerable economic potential and strategic geographical advantages that could support tourism, maritime activities, trade, employment generation and regional development.
It argued that rather than treating the terrain as a limitation, the government should consider it an opportunity to drive transformative infrastructure development and inclusive economic growth.
The organisation further stated that the benefits of the coastal highway should extend to the people of Ilaje, Ese-Odo and the wider Ondo State coastline.
It warned that diverting the road away from the area without transparent and compelling engineering justification could marginalise coastal communities and deprive them of opportunities associated with the infrastructure project.
Calling for public-interest considerations to guide decisions on the road’s alignment, Ilaje Omuro Community Connect said the project must serve the interests of Nigerians rather than those of individuals or political groups.
The group urged the Federal Government to demonstrate its commitment to equitable development by ensuring that the concerns of affected coastal communities were properly considered in decisions concerning the highway.
It reiterated its opposition to what it described as selfish diversion, political marginalisation and the exclusion of the Ilaje coastline, insisting that sound engineering, fairness and the public interest must prevail.
The statement concluded with the declaration, “On Aburi, we stand,” reaffirming the organisation’s resolve to defend what it described as the rights and economic future of the Ilaje people.