IT is disturbing that a monumental project like the N15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, renamed the President Bola Tinubu Coastal Highway on Friday, is already being ravaged by flooding and vandalism. The development has understandably raised questions about the project’s bidding process, engineering integrity and Environmental Impact Assessment, among other concerns.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, explained that the highway was elevated to withstand ocean surges and protect the corridor from flooding for 20 to 30 years.
He said the culverts along the highway were specifically engineered to collect floodwater from surrounding communities and discharge it into the Atlantic Ocean.
Why, then, did flooding occur despite these safeguards? The answer appears to lie in a dangerous combination of regulatory failure, poor environmental management, climate change and the destructive habits of citizens.
Umahi blamed blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate refuse dumping, poor environmental practices and climate change. He warned that the Federal Government would begin arresting and prosecuting anyone found obstructing drainage infrastructure.
