By: Idris Olukoya
Former lawmaker, Rep. Oghene Egoh, has faulted critics accusing President Bola Tinubu of concentrating the Federal Government’s infrastructural projects in Lagos State.
Egoh said during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, on Tuesday.
He said that such allegations were unfounded, noting that the infrastructural projects initiated under the Tinubu administration are designed to promote balanced national development and benefit all regions across Nigeria.
He specifically debunked claims by some Northern Group alleging that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway was a Lagos-centric initiative.
The former lawmaker explained that the 700km coastal road cuts across 9 oil-producing states and will boost inter-state trade, enhance regional connectivity, and stimulate economic growth across the federation.
According to him, the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road would improve bilateral trading relations between states, enhance logistics, and increase internally generated revenue through socio-economic activities.
He stressed that the project was not for Lagos alone but for the collective progress of Nigeria’s economy.
Egoh backed President Tinubu’s infrastructural investment in Lagos, including the upgrading of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, was in the national interest not just for Lagos State benefits alone.
He argued that the airport serves all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic or regional affiliations, as travellers from Kano, Kaduna, Borno, Enugu, sokoto and other parts of the country rely on it for both domestic and international travel.
He added that the airport redevelopment was long overdue, describing it as a “national edifice” that reflects Nigeria’s image to the world.
“It is not about Lagos; it is about modernizing Nigeria’s primary gateway for all citizens,” he said.
Egoh supported the federal government’s decision to invest heavily in upgrading port infrastructure in Lagos.
He said that over 90 percent of Nigeria’s imports and exports pass through Lagos ports, which serve business owners and traders from every region.
“The ports may be in Lagos, but their impact is national.
“The economy of Sokoto, Borno, Enugu, and every other state depends on Lagos ports efficiency,” he added.
Egoh urged critics to desist from politicizing President Tinubu’s infrastructural development efforts, stressing that the projects, though located in Lagos, but are national assets that benefit every Nigerian.
He described such criticisms as divisive and unpatriotic, saying that what the nation needs is collective support for initiatives that promote national growth.
The former lawmaker commended President Tinubu for his bold infrastructural vision and called on Nigerians to embrace unity and development over regional sentiments.
Egoh also urged other regions to emulate Lagos’s efficiency in managing national facilities to ensure optimal benefits for the entire country.
Source:NAN
