By Olasunkanmi Akoni

There was mild drama at the weekend as stakeholders openly engaged the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in disagreement over Lagos-Calabar Highway diversion.

In a charged atmosphere on Sunday, in Victoria Island, Lagos, the minister had to call on security agents, who were stationed at the entrance of the venue to come and whisk one of the stakeholders out of the venue but save for the intervention of some members of the National Assembly, who were present.

Trouble started when the minister was reacting to calls by some stakeholders from Okun Ajah Community, who questioned the reason for the diversion of the road to their affected houses and estates.

The minister had earlier claimed that the design for the road had been done and that the ministry would not change it.

The minister, while giving reasons for the diversion, claimed that the road was diverted in Okun Ajah due to the presence of marine cable.

However, one of the stakeholders, Engr Stella Okengwu raised observation that the marine cable is not in Okun Ajah but in Okun Mopo, which is about seven kilometres away from Okun Ajah.

Okengwu, while pointing to the presentation by the minister, insisted that the marine cable is located in Okun Mopo and not in Okun Ajah as claimed by the minister

The situation almost degenerated into an exchange of words as the woman tried to explain in details but the minister instructed her to surrender the microphone.

The development elicited serious uproar and opposition from the hundreds of other stakeholders, including traditional rulers, who attended the event.

Okengwu, while speaking with newsmen after the event said: ” We are still not satisfied with what the minister has done.

“We are here talking about $250 million investments of Nigerians in the Diaspora. The minister has not given any reason why they are avoiding the 2006 Gazetted alignment.

“He claimed that they cannot take the road through the ocean side and they give the marine cable as an excuse.

“That is still subjected to investigation whether there is cable there on not.

“NOW, what is clear is that there is no marine cable on the 2006 Gazetted Alignment. Why can’t they take the road through the Gazetted alignment.

“Since that was where our President, Bola Tinubu, earmarked for this road, when he was a governor of the state.”

She therefore appealed to the president to prevail on the minister of works to follow the already designated 2006 Gazetted alignment in the interest of fairness and tranquility.