In an urgent press statement released today, residents of Iwerekun, Solu Orumija, Awofin, and Odusina villages along Nigeria’s coastal region voiced their distress over the proposed realignment of a major coastal road, which threatens to wipe out their ancestral lands.
The villages, which have long awaited the construction of the Coastal Road, expressed dismay as the road’s Right of Way (RoW) was suddenly redirected onto their inhabited territory. Villagers are particularly concerned that this new alignment poses an existential threat to their communities.
The spokesperson for the affected villages highlighted the critical issue, emphasizing that the realignment would effectively erase their settlements.
“The sudden change of the road path now directly encroaches upon our villages, jeopardizing our homes and way of life,” stated the village leaders.
The primary grievance lies in the apparent lack of consultation and consideration for the villages’ existence during the road’s redesign process. Residents question the necessity of diverting the road through their inhabited areas when alternative routes could have been explored.
One of the core concerns raised by the villagers is the fate of the previously earmarked land for the Coastal Road, which has remained untouched for over two decades. With the new alignment encroaching on their homes, villagers are demanding clarity on the fate of this old site and whether it can be reclaimed for their use.
“If the government is taking a new plot of land for the road, what purpose will the old site serve now?” questioned the community leaders. “Why were we not consulted before this drastic redesign that threatens our very existence?”
The plea from the affected villages is straightforward: revert to the original design of the Coastal Road that would not compromise their settlements. The villagers call upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government and the Minister for Works, Mr. Dave Umahi, to intervene urgently and protect their ancestral lands from impending destruction.
The situation remains critical as residents brace themselves for potential displacement due to the realignment of the Coastal Road.
