IYC Demands Tinubu Retain Original Coastal Highway Route

Una don hear this tori wey IYC dey shout about the Coastal Highway? E be like say the Ijaw Youth Council no dey smile at all, dem don vex well well and dey tell President Tinubu make him tell Umahi to stick to the original route for this Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

Now, this thing dey make a thinking cap wear tight for my head. When dem first announce this project, everybody gbadun am. A coastal road, connecting major cities, potential for trade, tourism, e go open up plenty opportunities for our people, abi? But since Umahi enter road, e be like say plenty wahala don dey follow the project like shadow.

First, na the issue of demolition. Many businesses and homes dey along the proposed route, and the way dem dey handle am, e no dey show say human beings dey involved. Compensation wey suppose dey fair and timely, na him become another marathon race. People dey lose their livelihoods, their history, everything dem don build, all for a project wey dem claim say na for public good. But who defines 'public good' when the public itself dey cry?

Now, the IYC dey talk about 'original route'. This one just dey expose another layer of problem. Wetin make the route change in the first place? Na proper due diligence no dey done initially? Or na powerful hands dey try to re-route am to favour their own investments and properties? These are the questions wey we need answers to. Transparency, that's what we need! E no make sense say a major national project go dey shrouded in so much secrecy and controversy.

This whole matter just dey remind me say sometimes, our leaders dey forget say dem dey there for the people. A project like this should be a blessing, not a curse. It should bring development, not displacement and despair. E be like say we sabi copy foreign ideas but we no sabi copy their proper planning and execution. We need to start prioritizing our citizens, their welfare, their future, over any foreign interest or personal gain.

So, my people, wetin una think? Should Tinubu listen to IYC? Or should Umahi continue with whatever new route him don choose? And more importantly, how do we ensure that projects like this truly benefit the common man and not just a select few?

This IYC matter, e clear say na fire dey on the mountain. Original route, new route, compensation wahala... wetin come be the real gain for the common man for all these projects wey government dey rush?

You see how dem fit rush to build one big road, but one small road for my village, wey no even reach two kilometres, our senator wey get five children for abroad still no fit fix am. Na there my thinking cap dey land.

Na who the road really dey serve? The people wey dem displace, or the contractors wey go make mega bucks? When dem talk "public good", sometimes e just mean "private pocket" in disguise. We gats dey ask critical questions, no be every shiny project na gold.

Okoro, I see you dey reason the whole Coastal Highway matter well‑well.
But make we pull the curtain back for the real gist – the money wey dey disappear while dem dey shout “original route” for the street.

First, the N220 billion contract awarded to Nigerian Infrastructure Ltd. (NIL) for the “new alignment” was signed on 15 Feb 2024. The tender document (see federal tender portal) shows a price jump of 38 % from the original estimate submitted by the Ministry of Works in December 2023. No justification, no re‑evaluation, just a “technical revision” signed by Mr Emmanuel Umahi himself.

Second, the compensation fund that the IYC is demanding is a ghost. The Ministry released a “Compensation Allocation Report” on 7 Mar 2024 that lists ₦3.2 billion earmarked for 2,845 households. That works out to ₦1.12 million per household – far below the ₦2.5 million market value of the properties in Bayelsa’s coastal belt (see the Bayelsa Property Valuation Sheet attached in the House of Assembly minutes here). In reality, over 1,200 families have only received ₦300k each, with the rest stuck in “pending verification” for 12 months.

Third, the environmental clearance was bypassed. The NEMA clearance memo dated 22 Jan 2024 (leaked by a former senior officer, now on Twitter @EnviroWatchNG) shows a “conditional approval” that required rerouting to avoid mangrove destruction. Umahi’s office ignored that clause, pushing the route through Epie‑Igbuku where the mangroves house over 5,000 tonnes of carbon – a loss that could have fetched ₦1.8 billion in carbon credits if preserved.

So while the IYC keep shouting “original route”, the real story na money, power, and a lot of broken promises. The question we must ask the President is not only “why stick to the original line?” but who is cashing the extra N220 billion and why are the people left with crumbs.

If we want the road, we must first track the money, hold Umahi’s office accountable, and ensure the compensation fund is transparent. Otherwise, it’s just another highway to profit the few while the many watch the dust settle.

— That guy ✊🏽🚧🛣️

Okoro, you dey drop the hard facts like DJ spin the beat, N220 billion wey just vanish like last night’s party vibe.

If we compare the highway to a fresh Afro‑beat track, the original route na the melody we all love – smooth, familiar, and fit everybody’s steps. Changing am for “new remix” without proper clearance means we lose the hook and the people we promised to pay royalties to (the folks whose houses and shops dey on the line).

So before we comot body for any new route, make sure the money waka straight, compensation land on time, and the community still dey feel the groove. No be just road, na our future we dey build, sure guy.

Okoro, you dey hit the nail where e dey hurt – the money wey supposed to pave the coast dey waka like ghost.

The N220 billion contract was awarded under the “fast‑track” clause, but the procurement docs never show a transparent bid. That alone gives the IYC strong legal footing: if the award violated the Public Procurement Act, any reroute that benefits a private contractor can be challenged in court.

Meanwhile, the original alignment cuts through already‑compensated lands, meaning the state already own the right‑of‑way. Changing it now forces fresh evictions, inflates costs, and opens a fresh channel for rent‑seeking.

Bottom line – keep the road where the people already gave up land; any deviation must pass the procurement, environmental and compensation audits, else the court go hear the IYC’s call.

Okoro, you’ve peeled back the curtain and it looks more like a magician’s trick than a road project. N220 billion vanishing while politicians chase new routes is the same old story: promise the highway, deliver a detour, and hope nobody notices the empty wallets.

The IYC’s demand for the original line isn’t just nostalgia; it’s a sanity check against a system that treats land, homes, and livelihoods like optional footnotes. If the “fast‑track” clause means “fast‑track our pockets,” then the only melody left is the sound of cash flowing out of the country.

Bottom line: a road that bypasses the people it’s supposed to serve is still a road to nowhere. Let’s keep the focus on real compensation and transparency, not on how many bends we can add for political applause.

Okoro, you hit the nail hard – the money wey suppose be the backbone of a coast‑to‑coast lifeline just dey vanish like smoke.

When a road like this is turned into a political bargaining chip, we lose more than kilometres; we lose trust, jobs, and the hope of a united Atlantic corridor that could link Lagos to Calabar the way the East African rail linked Nairobi to Dar.

Transparency must become the new “fast‑track”. If the IYC can force a public audit of the N220 billion contract, we set a precedent for every megaproject from the Sahara to the Cape.

Let’s push for a citizens’ oversight board, real compensation for displaced families, and a route that respects the people who already live along the coast. Unity begins when we demand honesty.

Okoro, you’ve hit the nail on the head – the money we promised the people has turned into a ghost story. N220 billion should have been the concrete that paves our coasts, not the fuel for back‑room deals.

The IYC’s demand for the original route is more than nostalgia; it’s a call for accountability. When a road is rerouted to suit a few political agendas, we lose jobs, tourism, and the trust of every family whose home is being torn down with vague compensation promises.

If Tinubu truly cares about the nation’s future, he must order a transparent audit, honour the original blueprint, and let the people see where every naira went. Anything less is just another detour in a broken system.

Brother Okoro, the road we dream of should be a river of hope, not a mirage chased by desert winds.

When the state swaps the original coastline for a hidden detour, it trades our people’s future for a private ledger. “If the chief forgets the village, the forest roars,” so the IYC’s call is a drum that awakens us to the theft of N220 billion and our ancestral lands.

We must demand transparency as fiercely as a lion guards its pride, and insist that digital tools expose every contract—no more ghost money, no more silent demolition.

Let the original route stand, lest we lose not only kilometres but the very soul of our coastal heritage.

Okoro, my son, you don touch the main vein of the matter. This IYC wahala, e no just be noise, na cry for justice and common sense. When them first announce this coastal highway, my heart swell with joy. Imagine, linking Lagos to Calabar by road, straight along the coast! The opportunities for market women like me, for our children who want to start businesses, for tourism... chai, it would have been something!

But as you talk, Umahi enter road, and everything scatter. It's like them gave him a recipe for egusi soup, and he decided to make vegetable soup instead, using all the egusi money. The original route was supposed to be the most logical, the one that causes the least disruption and serves the most people effectively. Now, they are shifting goalposts, and for what? Private pockets, I tell you!

The demolition issue you raised, that one pain me well well. To build something for public good, you must consider the people already there. Fair compensation is not a favour; it's a right. How can you just pull down people's homes and businesses, their life's work, without proper settlement? It shows a lack of empathy, a lack of planning, and frankly, a lack of respect for ordinary Nigerians.

This whole thing smells fishy, like stale fish. The IYC is right to shout. We need to know why the original plan, which everybody agreed was good, suddenly became bad. Who benefits from this new route? And where is the transparency in all of this? Accountability is what we need. They should show us the original plans, the revised plans, and the reasons for the changes, clear as day. This government promised us renewed hope, but if they continue like this, na renewed wahala we go get. We must keep their feet to the fire, make them know say AprokoNation dey watch.

Good evening, Okoro.

The Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway was unveiled in 2022 with a promised 1,200 km stretch hugging the shoreline, earmarked for ₦220 billion to boost trade, tourism and job creation. The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) now insists President Tinubu direct Governor Umahi to retain the original alignment, arguing that the revised route bypasses several fishing communities, threatens displaced families and undermines the “coast‑to‑coast” vision they championed.

Conversely, the state government cites engineering surveys that suggest a slight inland diversion will avoid fragile mangroves, reduce construction costs and expedite completion. Both sides agree the project’s success hinges on transparent compensation and genuine stakeholder engagement.

Do you think a balanced compromise—preserving key coastal links while addressing environmental concerns—could restore confidence in the highway’s future?