The 2023 gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Lagos State, Funsho Doherty on Friday lent his voice to the demand for an investigation into the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project awarded to Hi-Tech Construction Ltd.

Doherty in a letter addressed to Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas urged a thorough inquiry into the contract award.

Dated 11 April, the letter highlighted that awarding the contract to Hi-Tech Construction Ltd, a company linked to President Bola Tinubu’s associate, Gilbert Chagoury, went against the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

The former governorship candidate emphasized that the lack of competitive bids in the contract award process was a clear violation of legal provisions.

The concerns raised echo previous questions raised by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar regarding the transparency of the road project award.

As a participant in the 2023 Lagos State Governorship Election, Mr Doherty called on the National Assembly to initiate an investigation into the matter.

“I urge the National Assembly to exercise its oversight role by commencing a comprehensive probe into this project, involving the Federal Ministry of Works and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),” he stated.

Furthermore, Mr Doherty demanded the temporary suspension of the project until a thorough review of the contract was conducted.

“The Coastal Road Project should be immediately paused and subjected to proper procedures, including competitive bidding as mandated by the law,” he emphasized.

In anticipation of any breaches of the Public Procurement Act or codes of conduct uncovered during investigations, Mr Doherty called for the enforcement of appropriate legal consequences as a deterrent. (Saturday Telegraph: Text, Excluding Headline)