By Lucky Isibor
The Common Good Letter welcomes presidential directive but demands disclosure of project alignment, funding arrangements, existing contracts and implementation timelines to prevent duplication and ensure accountability.
The Publisher of The Common Good Letter, Rev. David Ugolor, has welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reported directive to align sections of the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway with the existing East–West Road in the Niger Delta, describing the decision as a potentially transformative infrastructure intervention that could reshape the region’s economic fortunes.
However, Ugolor has urged the Federal Government to provide comprehensive details of the proposed arrangement, including the project’s scope, funding sources, procurement procedures, existing contractual obligations and implementation timelines, warning that the initiative must not become another cycle of overlapping projects, duplicated expenditure and unfulfilled promises.
In a statement issued through The Common Good Letter, Ugolor said the presidential decision could become one of the most consequential infrastructure interventions affecting the Niger Delta under the present administration if it is properly designed, transparently financed and effectively implemented.
According to him, a safe and durable East–West Road would improve connectivity across the region, reduce transportation costs, strengthen regional trade, support agriculture and industry, attract investment and save lives.
“The Common Good Letter has consistently called on President Tinubu and the Federal Government to treat the East–West Road as a national economic priority. We therefore welcome the renewed presidential attention,” Ugolor stated.
He added that the decision could become a defining issue in the 2027 presidential election, but stressed that its success must be measured by tangible results rather than political announcements.
“The decision could become a defining issue in the 2027 presidential election—but its value must ultimately be measured by completed kilometres, safe roads, transparent expenditure and economic benefits, not announcements,” he said.
Ugolor’s statement comes amid renewed attention to the development of critical road infrastructure in the Niger Delta, where the condition of major transport corridors has remained a significant concern for communities, businesses and other economic stakeholders.
While welcoming the reported presidential directive, the publisher cautioned that the available information does not yet establish whether the proposed arrangement constitutes a fully funded and procured reconstruction programme or simply a realignment of sections of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway with the existing East–West Road.
He called on the Federal Government to publish the relevant approvals and implementation details before presenting the initiative as a comprehensive reconstruction programme.
“The information currently available to citizens remains incomplete and potentially confusing.
“The announcement appears to concern the alignment of part of the coastal highway with the existing East–West Road; it should not yet be presented as a fully funded and procured reconstruction programme until the Government publishes the governing approvals and implementation details.”
Ugolor identified several issues requiring urgent clarification by the Federal Government, particularly whether the presidential directive involves a realignment of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway onto specified sections of the East–West Road, the reconstruction and expansion of those sections under the existing coastal-highway contract, or a separate procurement arrangement.
He also asked the government to clarify whether the proposed works would require fresh Federal Executive Council approval, constitute a variation of an existing contract, or be implemented through a coordinated programme involving existing East–West Road contractors, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), state governments and the coastal-highway contractor.
According to him, these distinctions are essential because several portions of the East–West Road are already covered by existing contracts, emergency interventions or projects being executed by different public institutions.
Without a clear framework defining responsibilities, he warned, the new arrangement could create confusion over contractual obligations and expose the project to overlapping mandates and financial irregularities.
“These distinctions are critical because several sections of the East–West Road are already covered by existing contracts, emergency interventions or works being undertaken by different public institutions.
“Without a publicly available implementation framework, there is a serious risk of overlapping mandates, duplicated contracts, double funding and uncertainty over responsibility for delivery.”
He maintained that the Federal Government must establish a transparent system showing how the proposed realignment would interact with existing projects and contractual commitments.
The publisher specifically called on the Minister of Works to publish a comprehensive East–West Road and Coastal Highway Integration Plan detailing the engineering, financial, contractual and administrative arrangements for the project.
He said the document should identify the exact alignment, the road sections affected and the number of kilometres covered by the proposed intervention.
It should also contain the engineering justification for the revised alignment, including a comparative assessment of the original and proposed routes, as well as details of pavement design, drainage systems, flood control and climate-resilience measures.
Ugolor further requested the publication of the estimated cost of the revised works and clarification on whether the expenditure has been provided for in the 2026 federal budget or would require a supplementary appropriation.
He said the government should disclose whether the project would be financed directly through federal allocations, borrowing, private financing, concession arrangements or a combination of funding sources.
Other details he said must be made public include the applicable procurement method, required approvals, the identity of the contractor or contractors responsible for the works, and the implications of the new arrangement for existing contracts.
“The Minister of Works should publish a comprehensive East–West Road and Coastal Highway Integration Plan,” Ugolor said, outlining the information citizens need to understand the project and monitor its execution.
He also called for the disclosure of existing East–West Road contracts, including the names of contractors, contract values, payments made, levels of completion and outstanding obligations.
According to him, the government must explain how the proposed arrangement would affect those contracts and what safeguards would be introduced to prevent duplicate payments for the same work.
He added that the implementation plan should clearly define the respective responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Works, the NDDC, state governments and other relevant institutions.
The plan, he said, should also specify project milestones, completion schedules, warranties, performance bonds and arrangements for independent technical monitoring.
The Common Good Letter also raised concerns over reports that the Federal Government would provide 30 per cent of the financing for the wider Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, while foreign banks would provide the remaining 70 per cent.
He urged the government to clarify whether the reported financing structure would cover the newly aligned sections of the East–West Road.
The Federal Government, he said, should identify the financial institutions involved, disclose the material terms of the financing arrangements and explain whether sovereign guarantees or other contingent liabilities would be incurred.
The clarification, according to him, is necessary to enable citizens to understand the financial implications of the proposed intervention and determine how the project would be funded without creating uncertainty over public expenditure.
“The reported claim that the Federal Government is providing 30 per cent of the wider coastal-highway financing while foreign banks provide 70 per cent also requires clarification.
“The Government should state whether that financing arrangement covers the newly aligned East–West Road sections, identify the financial institutions involved, disclose the material financing terms and explain any sovereign guarantees or contingent liabilities.”
He further stressed that changing the alignment of a major public infrastructure project must be supported by updated engineering studies, environmental and social assessments, revised cost estimates, appropriate procurement approvals and clear financing arrangements.
Such measures, he said, should include safeguards for communities that could be affected by the revised route.
As part of efforts to promote transparency, Ugolor called on the Minister of Works to convene a public technical and accountability briefing dedicated specifically to the East–West Road.
“A Public Accountability Briefing Is Needed,” Ugolor declared, insisting that the people of the Niger Delta should not be left to interpret conflicting announcements to understand what the government intends to do with the region’s most important highway.
“The people of the Niger Delta should not have to reconcile contradictory announcements to understand what government is doing on their most important regional highway,” he said.
He added that the government must move beyond policy announcements and provide an implementation framework that citizens can independently assess.
“We welcome the policy direction. We now ask for the plan, contracts, financing and measurable delivery framework,” he stated.
Whike warning against a repetition of past infrastructure challenges, he said the East–West Road must not continue to be associated with recurring promises, overlapping interventions and incomplete contracts.
“The East–West Road must not remain a road of repeated promises, overlapping interventions and uncompleted contracts,” Ugolor said.
“It must become a transparent, climate-resilient economic corridor that moves people, businesses and the Niger Delta economy.”