The Federal Government has launched the Coastal Highway Guards to protect the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from vandalism, illegal and other unauthorized activities.
The initiative, launched by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, begins with 40 officers tasked with monitoring the highway, reporting suspicious activities and preventing hawking, loitering and the use of motorcycles and tricycles on the route.
The Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Lagos State Governor, Jubril Gawat, disclosed this in a statement posted on his X handle, saying the guards would maintain a visible presence along the highway, report and monitor cases of vandalism, and restrict other unauthorized activities on the road.
He said the team would be led by retired General Adekunle Shodunke and would work with security agencies in the state.
Gawat quoted Umahi as saying the initiative was not an empowerment programme but a full-time job aimed at protecting government assets.
“The Honorable Minister says this is not an ‘empowerment program’. It is a full-time job to protect national assets and in line with the Renewed Hope of Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR,” Gawat said.
Earlier, Umahi expressed concern over the activities of people along sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, particularly the alleged removal of construction materials and illegal occupation of the road.
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“We have had very terrible, unpatriotic elements removing the blocks, breaking the fence, removing the rods and treading on the highway. This must stop,” Umahi said.
He directed the Works Controller in Lagos to ensure that motorcycles, tricycles, hawkers and other unauthorized activities were kept off the coastal highway.
“Their job is that no keke on the coastal highway, no motorcycle on the coastal highway, and no loitering. There is no superhighway all over the country where you see people loitering,” he said.
“Last night, we were there with the National Assembly members by 11 pm; people were sleeping on the coastal highway. It must stop. No hawking, no illegal occupation along the entire coast.”
Umahi also called on the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to strengthen the protection of strategic national infrastructure.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a 750-kilometre, 10-lane highway being developed to connect Lagos with Cross River State, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.
The project is being constructed by Hitech Construction Company Limited under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Works.
PUNCH
