Nigerian Govt unveils guards to protect Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

Nigerian Govt unveils guards to protect Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

 The Federal Government has introduced the Coastal Highway
Guards to safeguard the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway against vandalism,
illegal occupation and other unauthorised activities.

 

The initiative was launched by the Minister of Works, David
Umahi, with an initial deployment of 40 personnel, according to a statement
shared on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Lagos
State Governor, Jubril Gawat.

 

Gawat said the guards would maintain a visible presence
along the highway and monitor activities capable of undermining the ongoing
project.

 

He listed their responsibilities to include reporting
suspicious movements, preventing hawking, monitoring and reporting vandalism,
and restricting the use of motorcycles and tricycles as well as loitering along
the highway.

 

“The Honorable Minister of Works, Senator @realdaveumahi,
today launched the COASTAL HIGHWAY GUARDS, starting with 40 officers. These
personnel will be in charge of:

 

“Maintaining presence on the highway; reporting suspicious
activities; restricting hawking on the Coastal Highway;

 

“Reporting and monitoring any form of vandalism; restricting
keke or okada on the Coastal Highway; and restricting loitering on the Coastal
Highway,” Gawat wrote.

 

According to him, the initiative will be coordinated by
retired General Adekunle Shodunke, with the guards expected to collaborate with
security agencies operating in Lagos State.

 

Umahi, as quoted by Gawat, clarified that the initiative was
not designed as an empowerment scheme but as a full-time employment arrangement
focused on protecting public infrastructure.

 

“The Hon. Minister says this is not an ‘empowerment
program’, It is a full time job to protect National Assets of the Government
and in line with the Renewed Hope of Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
GCFR,” Gawat quoted him as saying.

 

The launch followed concerns raised by Umahi over the
activities of some individuals along portions of the coastal highway.

 

The minister had earlier on Sunday expressed alarm over
reports of construction materials being removed and sections of the highway
being occupied or used for activities unrelated to the project.

 

“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 subsequently directed the Works Controller in Lagos to
ensure that motorcycles, tricycles, hawkers and other unauthorised activities
were removed from the 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.

 

Umahi further disclosed that members of the National
Assembly visited the highway with him at about 11pm, during which they
reportedly found people sleeping along the route.

 

“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 occupation illegally along the entire coast,” he stated.

 

The minister also urged the Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps, NSCDC, to intensify efforts to protect strategic national
infrastructure.

 

He added that the Ministry of Works had opened its ongoing
projects to scrutiny by relevant anti-corruption agencies as part of efforts to
promote transparency and accountability in project implementation.

Source: Nigerian Govt unveils guards to protect Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway



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