The federal government has fired back at former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other critics of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, advising them not to use the road once completed.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, defended the N15.6 trillion project, dismissing claims that it was a wasteful and corrupt initiative. During a working visit to Ondo State for an interactive session on the project, he criticized Obasanjo for downplaying the importance of President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure plans.

Obasanjo, in his recent memoir, described the project as a conduit for embezzlement and also condemned the N21 billion expenditure on a new official residence for Vice-President Kashim Shettima, calling it a misplaced priority.

In response, Umahi urged Nigerians to ignore Obasanjo’s claims, insisting the project was transparent. “Anybody criticising the project is waking up to say, ‘How can one man (Tinubu) be attributed to these types of projects?’” he said.

He further noted that the project’s alignment unveiling was the final stage before approval and instructed Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to issue a revocation order in line with the law. The route, originally planned at 75km, had been reduced to 71km.

Umahi reassured Ondo residents that Tinubu was committed to completing all inherited projects and the four flagship projects under his administration, ensuring all senatorial zones benefited.

“The man (Obasanjo) deserves our respect. I have not read the book, but the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is not wasteful and corrupt,” Umahi reiterated.