Landmark Beach Resort property will not be demolished, Dave Umahi

The 700-kilometer coastal road project that aims to link Lagos State with Calabar will not result in the demolition of the Landmark Beach Resort property, according to Minister of Works David Umahi.

Umahi revealed this in a Wednesday interview with Arise Television.

The minister added that the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road will not result in job losses.

He said, “I was at Landmark yesterday to see what was going on. Despite claims that 12,000 jobs will be lost, I told Landmark that no jobs will be lost by what we’re doing.

“What could be lost is the shoreline and the people that go to play at the shoreline. His facilities will be intact because we reduced the corridor by 50 metres.

“I saw that there’s no permanent structure other than a few shanties along the shoreline that are affected. I told him that no job would be lost, and he agreed with me,” he said.

The minister further stated, “Who owns the land is not supposed to be my problem, but the Federal Government (FG), by the Waterways Act and the recent Supreme Court judgement, gave the right of ownership of the shoreline to FG. 250 metres from the point of the shoreline, which means it belongs to FG.

“However, we’re interested here because it’s an investment, and we’re happy with it. We are taking 50 metres of that shoreline, and it’s irrevocable. I also told him if he’s interested in the waterways, he should create one on top.”

Recall that the $200 Landmark Beach Resort was given notice to be demolished by the Lagos State Government on the grounds that it obstructed the 700-kilometer coastline road project’s intended path.

He claims that over 80 enterprises reside on the Landmark property, directly supporting over 4,000 jobs.

He continued by saying that the business asserts it pays more over N2 billion in taxes annually.

Considered one of Nigeria’s premier tourist destinations, the beach resort welcomed about a million domestic and international guests last year.

Onwuanibe clarified that he bought the land in 2007, long before the plans for the coastal highway were developed, and that he was left feeling conflicted when the demolition notice was received, which is also why he filed for compensation.