Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Ijaw Monitoring Group Applauds President Tinubu

By Perekeme Odon                   

Lagos: It was excitement galore and just more than a gathering as residents and stakeholders from the oil-rich Niger Delta region, based in Lagos and the South West of Nigeria, emphatically celebrated and conveyed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for flagging off the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar coastal road project. 

Comrade Joseph Evah

Concern Niger Delta leaders led by the prominent Niger Delta activist, Coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), and former publicity secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Comrade Joseph Evah, made strong statements and delivered impactful messages on May 29, 2024, during the Democracy Day celebration at the Classique Events Place, No. 7A, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun Road, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The Democracy Day celebration highlighted the tangible progress in Nigerian democracy. It unequivocally recognised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commendable strides within just one year. It expressed sincere appreciation for the award and subsequent launch of the 700-km Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.

Chief Benjamin Nanaghan

Comrade Joseph Evah, the convener, emphatically applauded President Tinubu for commencing the coastal highway project and emphasised the anticipated benefits to the South West and South regions. "We wholeheartedly celebrate the inauguration of the Lagos-Calabar highway, and we firmly believe in its materialization. We are fully committed to the project and will actively bolster the president in actualizing it from Calabar to Lagos. This coastal highway project will undeniably be advantageous to Nigeria and the Niger Delta States."

Comrade Evah has advocated for the Federal Government of Nigeria to initiate the construction work simultaneously from both the Calabar and Lagos ends. Additionally, he recommended that the president adopt the approach employed by Babangida in the construction of the Third Mainland Bridge. In his words, "We want to urge Mr. President to adopt the method Babangida used in constructing the Third Mainland Bridge by commencing work from both the Lagos Island and Mainland ends concurrently to expedite the conclusion. The project has commenced in Lagos, and we seek similar progress in Calabar for the construction efforts to converge in the middle."

Prof D. D Moro

Comrade Evah demanded that the federal government expedite work on the East-West road, emphasising its paramount importance as the most significant road infrastructure in the entire Niger Delta region. “We are still agitating for the East-West road, which is the busiest road in the country, due to the tankers and trucks that are lifting crude oil and gas daily. We hope they will not abandon it.”

Renowned scholar and former Lagos State University lecturer, who represented the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Professor D.D. Moro, said, “President Ahmed Tinubu has taken the issue of the Niger Delta and its people relatively more seriously. We will be very grateful if the road's environmental fact assessment is done or made accessible to us to mitigate the effect of our unique ecosystem.”

Chairman of the occasion NADECO chieftain, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, emphatically stressed the necessity of prioritising the rail component of the road by both the federal and state governments, underscoring its multidimensional impact.

Comrade Ayodele Adewale

In addition to expressing gratitude to President Tinubu, Adewale forcefully emphasised the critical role of road and rail infrastructures in driving economic growth in the Niger Delta. He highlighted the detrimental impact of the limited road network on economic activities in the region. “The limited roads in the Niger Delta do not allow us to take advantage of a lot of things, especially in commerce. One of the most cogent infrastructures is road and rail. Since the Niger Delta is the torch of the country economically, without viable infrastructures, it makes it a bit crawlable for us to up our game.” Adewale stated.

Apart from celebrating and thanking President Tinubu, the Democracy Day Celebration also encompassed a range of activities, including free medical outreach, the provision of cash gifts, and the distribution of food items to over 2000 Niger Delta indigenes, including persons with disabilities (PWD).

The Event

Comrade Joseph Evah

Chief Allen Alabor

Niger Delta Physically Challenged People's Forum

Dr. D. D Moro

Niger Delta Blind Students Association

Tonpreye Idowu Umoru

South-South Women Organisation in Lagos

Niger Delta Residents in Lagos

Comrade Joseph Evah and Chief Benjamin Nanaghan

Ijaw Women Leadership Forum

A Cross Section of the Hall

Pst and Mrs Doubiri

Comrade Joseph Evah With The Press

Participants At The Event

Ijaw Women Leadership Forum, Lagos

Comrade Evah with The South-South Women Organisation in Lagos

Ijaw Women Leadership Forum, Lagos

Timoteik Hospital Ambulances

Participants Attending Healthcare

Doctors Attending To Participants

Joseph Evah Distributes Palliatives to Niger Delta Residents in Lagos

 By Perekeme Odon

Prominent Niger Delta activist and former publicity secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), and Coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), Super Comrade Joseph Evah, spearheaded a remarkable initiative to assist over 2000 Niger Delta residents in Lagos State.

Comrade Joseph Evah, Coordinator, IMG

The beneficiaries, members of 45 Niger Delta Groups and local associations, received food, non-food items, and cash to alleviate the severe impact of the high cost of living and ongoing economic hardships in the nation. Joseph Evah's proactive and decisive action demonstrates his unwavering commitment to the well-being of Niger Delta residents.

Flagging off the distribution of food and non-food items on Friday, May 3, 2024, at the TamRoyal Multipurpose Hall, No. 14 Ajibola Crescent, Alapere, Ketu, Kosofe Local Government Area, Lagos State, Comrade Evah said that the palliative distribution to Niger Delta residents in Lagos is meant to bring succour to the people given the economic recession being experienced in the country.

Comrade Evah recognized 45 Niger Delta groups, including community-based organizations and PLWD, represented by the blind and disabled. He emphasized the need for transparency in palliative care distribution.

Giving the breakdown of the food palliative, the food items distributed include 300 50kg bags of rice, 2500 cartons of spaghetti and noodles, 300 cartons of groundnut/vegetable oil of various kinds and cash gifts to all the 45 groups and vulnerable persons present.

The IMG Coordinator explained that this gesture is geared towards President Tinubu’s one year in office by passing a strong message on the roadmap. It is also a clarion call to include the Niger Delta residents in Lagos in all the empowerment structures as other tribes in Lagos are benefiting from them. He informed the Niger Delta residents in Lagos to wake up so they can reason together and protest about their non-inclusion in all former President Buhari empowerment schemes retained by President Tinubu’s administration, and not act like conquered people after the loss of their son’s presidential election. He called on the Lagos State Government and Nigeria to carry the Niger Delta along in the scheme of things in the country.

A Cross-Section of Attendees

“However, after Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, many believed we were conquered but were not. We feed this nation. Lagos, Nigeria's former capital, is the most crowded area outside our homeland. We want to be involved in Nigerian activities. Our people should also be empowered here in Lagos with what goes to other tribes. We are not enemies of Lagos State. The Lagosians have been kind to us and have been good landlords. I want our people to come together and reason in one voice. Accept this token, no matter how small it may be.” He said

“I want to thank God that democracy is on course as President Tinubu retained all the empowerment structures of former President Mohammadu Buhari. We are protesting against our non-inclusion in all the empowerment schemes. As we are gearing up to celebrate his one-year in office without our involvement, we want to make statements about what we expect in the next three years. We are mobilizing Niger Delta residents in Lagos for a protest come May 29, 2024, to be included in all government interventions and schemes of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Northerners and other tribes in Lagos are benefiting from the N-Power programme, Persons With Disabilities (PWD), Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) Fund, Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF) scheme, Business Resilience Assistance for Value-adding Enterprises for Women in Nigeria (BRAVE Women Nigeria), and Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES), etc. So what stops Niger Delta residents in Lagos from accessing those funds?”

Ruth Charles, President of the Niger Delta Physically Challenged People Forum, Lagos Chapter, expressed deep gratitude towards Comrade Joseph Evah for his unparalleled contributions towards providing relief in alleviating their pains, especially during these perilous times. She also expressed the view that Comrade Evah deserves recognition for his efforts and encouraged other members of the Niger Delta community to follow his example.

Beneficiaries of The Day

“Today is a wonderful day. We have been with our Super Comrade Joseph Evah since this forum was formed in 2011, and he has always been a good father, caring for all of us like the Hausa and Yoruba are doing for their people. Today, he invited us to come for the palliative sharing. Our Niger Delta politicians should emulate his lifestyle so that they can help their people.” She said.

Also speaking, Meshach Solomon, President, of the Niger Delta Blind Students Association, and his representative of beneficiaries thanked the IMG Coordinator for the intervention, noting that it could not have come at a better time considering the hardship being experienced by families. He said the distribution would go a long way in assisting the poor in the community.

“Today is a testament that the Niger Delta still exists. For us, it's more than just a mere distribution of palliatives, it is a golden opportunity to reunite after a prolonged absence. Super Comrade is an individual who exemplifies the concept of unity and comprehends the significance of uniting the various factions of the Niger Delta to combat for a common cause.” Meshach added.

"Our people deserve to feel the impact of effective governance and government policies of this administration. I am grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his tremendous efforts in constructing the 700-kilometer  Lagos-Calabar coastal route and for appointing well-deserving sons and daughters of the Niger Delta. However, like Oliver Twist, we demand for more appointments."

The Ijaw Monitoring Group is a prominent activist organization in Nigeria that fights against corrupt governance. "It is a tradition for the Niger Delta to reach out to their people in Lagos. Unfortunately, due to bureaucratic and inflation-related delays, the initiative was delayed. The goals of this outreach programme are aligned with those of the Lagos State Government, particularly about improving food security."

“Nigeria's progress is being severely impeded by the unfair treatment of the Niger Delta. It is unacceptable that a lot of Niger Delta residents in Lagos are unable to feed themselves due to the dire state of the economy. Instead of offering empty words of hope, we must take concrete action to give our citizens the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. It is time for us to demand the fair treatment and support that our people deserve," declared Evah.