By Senator Ojudu Babafemi
Stepping outside partisan trenches is often a risky endeavor in Nigeria’s charged political landscape. Acknowledging a merit-based achievement by an administration you do not necessarily endorse is bound to provoke swift reactions: the ruling party’s loyalists will celebrate, the opposition will bristle, and the cynics will cynically declare that all politicians sing the same tune for personal gain.
Let the chips fall where they may.
As a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who does not belong to the Emilokan school of thought, my stance on the upcoming political cycle remains neutral. I am not endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term, nor am I prepared to back any of the aspirants currently jostling for power. No contender has yet presented a manifesto that genuinely convinces me they are worthy of the sacrifices long-suffering Nigerians continue to endure.
However, before I am a politician, I am a journalist. My primary calling is to observe, interrogate, and report honestly, wherever the objective facts lead.
My recent journey offered a firsthand opportunity to practice this ethos. For over two weeks, I was away from my farm in Lagos, enjoying the hospitality of my friend and kindred spirit, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, at the remarkable La Campagne Tropicana Resort. La Campagne holds a nostalgic place in my history; it was there in 2006 that I sheltered twenty-four Ekiti State lawmakers to orchestrate the legislative impeachment of then-Governor Ayodele Fayose—a thrilling political chapter I have detailed in my forthcoming book.
During this stay, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to take a drive along the much-discussed Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway.
To put it bluntly: if I claimed I was not impressed, I would be dishonest. I drove from Victoria Island to the 98-kilometer mark where construction had advanced, repeating the trip three distinct times simply to assure myself that what I was witnessing was real and not an illusion.
To be transparent, my critical lens remains intact. I still harbor serious questions regarding the staggering cost of the project. I maintain deep reservations about the opacity surrounding its procurement process and how the contract was awarded. These are non-negotiable questions in a vibrant democracy, and I intend to subject them to rigorous scrutiny at a later date.
Today, however, fairness demands that we look past political friction and focus on the sheer scale of the vision and its transformative possibilities.
If seen through to its final destination in Calabar, this highway will undoubtedly rank among the most consequential infrastructure projects in modern Nigerian history. Whatever final verdict history passes on this administration, such an monumental achievement will form a permanent cornerstone of President Tinubu’s legacy. Acknowledging this reality is not an endorsement of his entire presidency; it is merely an honest appraisal of a project’s monumental significance.
Navigating the completed sections—characterized by expansive carriageways, integrated solar-powered lighting, and embedded fibre-optic infrastructure—offered a surprisingly uplifting experience during a period when economic hardship and national uncertainty weigh heavily on citizens.
The socio-economic ripple effects extend far beyond smooth vehicular transit. A fully realized coastal highway will drastically slash travel times to Ondo, Edo, Delta, and the wider South-South region. More importantly, it opens up vast expanses of hitherto underutilized coastal land, paving the way for modern residential communities, industrial parks, logistics hubs, tourism ventures, and commercial service centers.
One can vividly visualize future real estate developments, business districts, hospitality hotspots, and thriving commercial clusters springing up along the corridor. Curiously, many private investors and developers appear slow to grasp the immense magnitude of economic real estate unfolding before them.
For those possessed with true entrepreneurial foresight, a drive along this route is strongly recommended. Beyond the fresh asphalt lies a landscape pregnant with new economic activity and boundless possibilities. In a national climate where narratives of disappointment have become all too familiar, this initiative stands out as a genuine anchor for optimism.
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As citizens, we must cultivate the civic discipline to relentlessly critique what deserves condemnation, while equally mustering the maturity to commend what deserves praise. Governments are certainly not entitled to applause merely for executing basic governance duties, but neither should they be denied credit when something genuinely worthwhile is successfully brought to life.
That delicate balance is the true essence of responsible citizenship—and the sacred obligation of independent journalism.