The Chief Executive Officer of Winhomes Global Estate, Stella Okengwu, has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road diversion crisis, citing its adverse impact on the larger economy.
Okengwu raised concerns over the lingering issue, which she said had jeopardised investments worth millions of naira in the Okun Ajah axis of Lagos State.
Her appeal was contained in a statement sent to The PUNCH on Wednesday, where she highlighted the plight of hundreds of Nigerians in the diaspora who had invested in Winhomes Global Estate projects located in the affected area.
In her appeal, she faulted the Minister of Works, David Umahi’s, decision to divert the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
Recall that in November 2024, Umahi, while briefing members of the House of Representatives committee and some stakeholders at Eleko Beach, said that the road was diverted in Okun Ajah because of submarine cables.
“When we got to Okun Ajah at Km 16, we discovered that we have a lot of network cables, MTN and Africa Network that are coming from the ocean. Instead of going by the designed corridor, which was the gazetted corridor 25 years ago, we have to divert at kilometres 16. We sat down with the community, we sat down with HiTech and we decided to divert the coastal road”, the minister had said.
Okengwu, however, commended Tinubu’s leadership on his bold reforms aimed at repositioning the country for progress, and Nigerians for their resilience.
The statement partly reads, “This situation threatens the investments of patriotic Nigerians in the diaspora who heeded the President’s call to contribute to Nigeria’s growth.
“I appeal to President Tinubu to intervene directly to restore the original coastal road alignment and ensure that the Senate Committee on Works investigates the corruption allegations surrounding this diversion.
“This is crucial to safeguard these investments and restore confidence in the real estate sector.”
Okengwu explained that affected investors followed legal protocols, and possessed all necessary documentation, including certificates of occupancy and coastal road clearance.
She averred that diaspora investments were critical to national development and, hence be guarded.
“Protecting these investments is not just about saving properties but about ensuring that Nigeria remains an attractive destination for investors,” she said.
