Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi, has accused the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, of inciting some of the people of South-East against the federal government over the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.
Umahi said this on Wednesday in an event organised to compensate the affected owners of demolished structures while creating a right of way for the N15 million infrastructural project.
The former Ebonyi State Governor made the statement in reaction to the criticism by Obi that the project embarked on by Bola Tinubu’s administration is a job-losing one.
Obi had noted on Tuesday via his X page that Tinubu is creating more unemployment and destroying investments that paid taxes, as the Landmark Beach Resort that was worth $200 million was adversely affected.
The former Anambra governor said that the Federal Government failed to listen to the public outcry over the demolition of invested structures making it an incentive government.
Speaking at a function in Lagos on Wednesday, Umahi said Obi did a similar thing while he was governor of Anambra state, and he did not even compensate people affected in his time.
He accused Obi of inciting some unsuspecting residents of the South-East against the Tinubu’s government, cautioning him to desist from such.
Umahi said: “It brings to some of the comments made by my brother, his Excellency Mr Peter Obi, I am not supposed to comment about it because some people have already done the work.
“And I know what Arise Television brought courtesy of Channels Television, they were bringing similar scenarios when His Excellency Peter Obi was the governor. He made a statement saying ‘Any infrastructure that stands in the way of the road must go. And there would be no compensation paid.’ That’s what he said.
“But look at me, by the human face of the renewed hope agenda administration, we are even paying for people who are illegally staying on the coastal line, and don’t have valid infrastructure and valid documents. That is mercy, that’s mercy… You know some people darken counsel without knowledge. You know there’s the devil in the details.
“When you condemn people, you bring judgment upon yourself. And that is what he (Obi) has done. And I think he’s inciting some of the south east people that are not well informed. He is inciting them. And gets them into trouble. And he doesn’t go to fight for them. Wisdom is a defence. And I want our people to have wisdom because I am involved.
“There’s is no inhumanity meted to Landmark, that matters should be buried because I was there. And so we fought everything possible. Even some people donated property to save his two big infrastructures. That’s appreciation. But some people have taken sides along with him to play politics.”