Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke has described Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri as a “local champion” following a disagreement over the feasibility of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Duke made the remark while speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, October 15, arguing that the project was impracticable due to its enormous cost and the difficult terrain along the proposed route.
The disagreement followed Diri’s criticism of Duke’s earlier comments that constructing the highway through Bayelsa would be challenging because of the state’s swampy terrain.
In a response issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Diri cited roads and bridges constructed by his administration across swamps and mangrove areas, insisting that the state had the capacity to undertake such infrastructure projects.
“Clearly, he is not abreast of current developments in road construction and infrastructure development in our state,” the governor said.
Reacting to Diri’s position, Duke argued that the governor was viewing the project from a state-level perspective rather than considering its broader implications for Nigeria.
“And the governor of Bayelsa, if he did say so, I don’t know the fellow, but if he did say so, I think he’s just being a local champion,” Duke said.
The former governor stressed that his South-South roots did not prevent him from assessing the project in the context of the country’s overall economic interests and spending priorities.
“I’m from the South-South. I’m a Nigerian. South-South just happens to be where I originated from. But I’m looking at the totality of Nigeria,” he stated.
Duke also questioned the Federal Government’s financial capacity to complete the coastal highway, arguing that the country was already relying heavily on borrowing to fund infrastructure development.
“It’s just not feasible. We don’t have the kind of money to do it. We’re literally borrowing to even stretch Epe stretch. We’re borrowing. We can’t do it,” he said.
He further raised concerns about plans to divert part of the coastal highway onto the East-West Road, questioning whether the existing route had been adequately considered during the project’s initial planning.
The exchange has brought renewed attention to the feasibility, cost and route planning of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, as well as the competing views on infrastructure development and government spending priorities.
