The Okun-Ajah community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State has called for the need to maintain the 2006 coastal plan designed by the state government for Lagos-Calabar road project.

The community on Wednesday in Lagos, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, in that regard.

The Baale-in-Council of the community, Chief Saheed Ologunro, made the call after the compensation payment ceremony for the affected property owners by the Minister of Works, David Umahi.

Ologunro explained that the new alignment in the plan would affect the existing community which had been residing there for 200 years.

The Baale said: “As at 2006 when we moved in there, the routes for the coastal road was already demarcated.

“There is a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) that covers where most of the landlords in the Okun-Ajah built their structure.

“Surprisingly, there is a deviation from the approved C-of-O from the initial coastal road”.

According to him, “if nothing is done after the appeal, then the community will not allow the government demolish structures in the community”.

Another resident, Chief Augustine Nwabueze, said: “Are we saying the C-of-O is no longer valid.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government because many of us have invested all we have in our life there”.

Umahi had earlier said that the federal government would pay compensation to property owners affected by the demolition necessary for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway.

He explained that the project would mark a major milestone in the Renewed Hope roadmap of Tinubu for economic diversification. (NAN)