A faction of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere has condemned the alleged ‘noise’ and publicity over the Lagos -Calabar coastal highway embarked upon by the President Bola Tinubu administration.
The late Pa Ayo Adebanjo faction of the Afenifere, said most of the road projects carried out by the administration were full of alleged ‘noise’ than the real projects
The Secretary General of the faction, Chief Sola Ebiseni, stated this while speaking with journalists on Tuesday, in Akure, Ondo State capital.
He said, “I personally notice some monumental initiatives, particularly in the area of road infrastructural development but regrettably the efforts are bedevilled by too much noise making, undue politicisation and policy somersault.
“Take the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway for instance. We have archival records that the road has been proposed around 1900 when the Ilaje coastal territory of the present Ondo State was still part of Lagos Colony.
“There was already a telegraphic line which connected Lagos through Ilaje to Warri along the Atlantic corridor.
“The road was designed in alignment with the telegraphic route to link Lagos Colony with the Southern Protectorate whose headquarters was then incidentally at Calabar.
“An agreement to that effect was reached in 1900 when Sir William Macgregor, Governor of Lagos Colony was on tour of the Ilaje eastern boundary of the Colony up to around the Benin River in Warri Division.
“The document was later signed on the 12th of January 1904 between Sir William Macgregor Governor of Lagos Colony and Sir Wyndham Roseberry of Southern Protectorate.
“President Tinubu has taken such a bold step in launching this historic road project which if faithfully implemented will be the most monumental particularly in the Niger Delta.:
The group also rejected the alleged plan by the Federal Government that the coastal road would not pass through Ondo State, saying that the Minister for Works, David Umahi had confirmed this.
Ebiseni said, “Most annoyingly, we now hear the Minister for Works in the media that the road will only follow the coastal route in the Lagos area but that the alignment will no longer follow the coastline from Ondo State to Delta and so on.
“Who takes such nonsense from the government? Why would Tinubu not be accused that the road is only a scam to open up more coastal real estate business in Lagos?
“The question being asked now is why the road should become impossible in the oil-producing areas that provide the fund?
“Why make the people of the coastal area happy about road development in their area only for the Works Minister to arrogantly tell us that the road is impossible in our territory?
“Incidentally, the potential for coastal business and several advantages available in Lagos are more in these virgin areas. It is better for the President to live for posterity than allow himself derail on the altar of political expediency.”
On the factionalisation of the Afenifere, as regards the emergence of Oba Oladipo Olaitan as the successor of the late factional leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Ebiseni explained that there was no faction in the group.
He stated that Oba Olaitan was the National Leader of the group.
Pa Reuben Fasonranti himself had endorsed Oba Olaitan to replace the late Adebanjo and Olaitan’s emergence has settled rancour within the organisation.
He said, “Oba Oladipo Olaitan who is from Osun State was appointed by our revered Leader, Pa Fasoranti to deputise Chief Ayo Adebanjo who departed glorious recently.
“Oba Oladipo Olaitan naturally stepped in as the Leader and Chairman of the three organs of the group, the National Executive Committee, National Caucus and the General Meeting, and all the meetings have since moved to his place at Ilesha.
“His emergence naturally solved a quiet rumpus within the organisation which shows a monopoly of the position of the Leader by the Lagos/Ogun and Ondo/Ekiti axis from founder, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1951 to Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Abraham Adesanya, Reuben Fasoranti and Ayo Adebanjo. Leadership has now moved to the Oyo/Osun axis as envisioned by Pa Fasoranti.”
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