Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has faulted the Tinubu administration’s prioritisation of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, arguing that large-scale infrastructure should not overshadow Nigeria’s urgent security and economic challenges.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Obi questioned the logic of committing massive public resources to long-term infrastructural ventures amid widespread insecurity and economic fragility.
“Are you saying that the coastal road is more important than securing Nigeria?” he asked pointedly.
Obi emphasised that the pillars of a stable and productive economy lie in effective security and robust production. According to him, investing in ambitious roads and infrastructure while the country remains unsafe and economically vulnerable reflects a misplaced sense of priority.
He stated, “The roads we have all over the country are no more durable. You fix those roads first and use your resources to secure your country. Security is far more fundamental than roads. Would you prefer a road to your village when you cannot drive to your village? If you prefer, let us do what we are doing. So if you say our problem is insecurity, they can’t go to farm, our problem is power, let’s deal with those things.”
The former governor argued that ensuring national security must take precedence in any government’s agenda, insisting that no amount of development can thrive in an unsafe environment.
“We are a government. We must secure our people, and it requires decisive action,” Obi asserted.
Drawing from his experience in public office, Obi advocated for a more proactive and aggressive approach to national security. He urged the federal government to empower the military, police, and other security agencies to respond with the urgency required in times of crisis.
“If we were in a war, we would declare a state of war… whatever it takes to secure the country, I would do it,” he declared.
Obi’s remarks come amid ongoing debates over the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a multi-trillion-naira project championed by the federal government but criticised by various stakeholders over its timing, scope, and relevance in the face of Nigeria’s pressing socio-economic concerns.
