Umahi Accuses Landmark Owner, Onwuanibe Of Misinforming Nigerians, Insist On Revoking 50 Metres Of Resort For Coastal Way

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi has accused the Chief Executive Officer of Landmark Group, Paul Onwuanibe, of misleading Nigerians and the minister is insisting that the government will take at least 50 metres of land belonging to Landmark Hotel and Beach Resort for the construction of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Way.

The decision is coming after THE WHISTLER reported that the CEO, Onwuanibe, decried that he will be stuck in debt of over $20m and may lose his $100m investment if the Lagos State Government proceeds with the demolition of a section of the resort.

The billionaire businessman was on March 18, 2024, served a seven-day notice by the Lagos State Government to vacate part of the Landmark Africa Lagos resort located in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Following the notice, Onwuanibe accused the government of attempting to render over 3,000 Nigerians unemployed as well as sabotage his efforts.

But the minister who spoke in an interview on Arise TV, monitored by THE WHISTLER, said he told the owner of Landmark that nothing will be lost.

Umahi said, “But I just went there (Landmark on April 10, 2024) to understand something. And I told landmark by what we are doing, that no job will be lost. What could be lost is the shoreline and the people that go to play at the shoreline. But his facilities are all intact because we reduced the corridor to 15 meters.

“And so, I saw it. There’s no permanent structure. Other than a few shanties along that shoreline that are affected. So, I told him that no job is lost and he agreed with me because the structures are all very much intact. There is no single one of them that will be demolished.”

Umahi explained that the Act on Waterways and a recent Supreme Court ruling awarded 250 meters from the point of the shoreline to the federal government.

“Federal Government by the act about the waterways and the recent Supreme Court judgment gave the right of ownership of the shoreline to federal government 250 meters from the point of the shoreline to federal government.

“So, which means the land belongs to the federal government. But we’re interested here because we’re talking about investment and we are happy with investment. But we are taking 50 meters off that shoreline, and it’s irrevocable, you know.

“And I’ve told him that if you are interested in the waterways, you can create one on top. There’s no cost for him.”

The businessman had claimed that he had invested close to $200m.

But the minister said, “If I’m to sell the shoreline, I will know how much I should sell this shoreline. So I think it is out of leniency because by that Supreme Court judgment, we are supposed to say this land belongs to us, you know, you have to pay.

“So, by taking that 50 meters, they live in the race. It was an act of magnanimity by reducing the corridor to 50 meters just to ensure that not only his properties but the rest of the properties of people along that shoreline, including the others.

“Landmark has been a huge issue because, you know, they have dished out wrong information that jobs will be lost, that properties will be demolished, no properties that may be destroyed.”