Lagos-Calabar highway a waste of resources, says Obasanjo

Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo has described the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project as a wasteful and corrupt venture.

He also criticised the President Bola Tinubu administration for spending N21 billion on a new official residence for Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

Obasanjo made these remarks in chapter six of his new book ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’, which was unveiled last week to mark his 88th birthday.

According to Punch, the ex-president said actions of the government suggest a continuation of “transactional” governance, with the slogan “it is my turn to chop”.

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“State resources are captured and appropriated, with a pittance to staff and associates to silence whistleblowers,” he said.

“Typical examples of waste, corruption and misplaced priority are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road on which the President had turned deaf ears to protests and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship to showcase the administration hitting the ground running and to show the importance of the office of the Vice-President. What small minds!”

He accused most Nigerian leaders, including governors, presidents, ministers, commissioners, and local government chairmen of being ill-prepared, self-centred, and focused on corruptly enriching themselves.

“Many clamouring to lead are only interested in using their offices to enrich themselves and their cronies, leaving the country worse off,” Obasanjo wrote.

The former president stated for the umpteenth time that western liberal democracy may not be the best for Africa.

“We should seek democracy within African history, culture, attributes and characteristics, one that will take necessary African factors into consideration. Until we can get a better word or description for it, let us call it Afrodemocracy,” he said.