The Minister of Works, David Umahi said the Landmark Beach Resort property will not be demolished in the cause of the 700-kilometer coastal road project intended to connect Lagos State with Calabar.
Umahi disclosed this in an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday.
The minister also said no jobs will be lost due to the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project.
He said, “I was at Landmark yesterday to see what was going on. Despite claims that 12,000 jobs will be lost, I told Landmark that no jobs will be lost by what we’re doing.
“What could be lost is the shoreline and the people that go to play at the shoreline. His facilities will be intact because we reduced the corridor by 50 metres.
“I saw that there’s no permanent structure other than a few shanties along the shoreline that are affected. I told him that no job would be lost, and he agreed with me,” he said.
The minister further stated, “Who owns the land is not supposed to be my problem, but the Federal Government (FG), by the Waterways Act and the recent Supreme Court judgement, gave the right of ownership of the shoreline to FG. 250 metres from the point of the shoreline, which means it belongs to FG.
“However, we’re interested here because it’s an investment, and we’re happy with it. We are taking 50 metres of that shoreline, and it’s irrevocable. I also told him if he’s interested in the waterways, he should create one on top.”
The Lagos State Government had issued a notice of demolition of the $200 Landmark Beach Resort, saying the property obstructs the planned route of the 700-kilometer coastal road project.
The proprietor of Landamark Beach Resort, Paul Onwuanibe, in an interview with CNN, said he was given a notice to vacate his multimillion-dollar beach resort within seven days for its impending demolition.
According to him, the Landmark property accommodates more than 80 businesses and sustains over 4,000 jobs directly.
He added that the company claims it contributes more than N2 billion in taxes each year.
The beach resort, regarded as one of the top tier tourism spots in Nigeria, received about a million local and foreign visitors last year.
Onwuanibe explained he purchased the land in 2007, well before the coastal highway plans were formulated, and was left with mixed feelings after the demolition notice arrived, also prompting him to claim compensation.
In March, the Federal Government started constructing the 700-kilometer Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway, designed to extend through 9 states with two spurs leading to the Northern States.
Umahi, disclosed this during the official handover of the first phase, which includes a 47.47-kilometer dual carriageway, to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.
Umahi said the road would be built using concrete pavement.
He added that since the Federal Government awarded the contract, Hitech Construction Company Limited has made significant progress, completing 1.3 kilometres of the required filling.
