Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has weighed in on the cost of the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project that was approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Makinde, who spoke at an event in a viral video on Friday, stated that there was no need for the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to be “dancing around the cost” of the project.
Makinded spoke in reaction to a heated exchange that unfolded live on television between Umahi and Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni on Tuesday.
Oseni had requested Umehi to analyze the cost of the project, kilometer by kilometer.
The request did not sit well with Umahi, who labeled himself a “professor” of practice in engineering while explaining that the prices of the road in kilometers are not the same and would be too hard for the journalist to understand.
He said, “These are elementary questions. And it makes no sense (sic). A process is ongoing, payment has been made, and you are saying, ‘How has this money been utilized?’ The money is meant for the project, and it will be paid according to the work done.
“When a certificate is generated, and it is approved through a process in the Ministry of Works, it will then be given to the funders, who will, in turn, check if the works were done. How can you be asking for the cost per kilometer? The prices are different. The next kilometer is different from the next kilometer.
“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything. I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you ask. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking.”
Oseni, who similarly refused to back down, said, “Minister, it’s alright; keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”
However, justifying the journalist’s inquiry to the minister, Makinde stated, “They asked a minister how much the coastal road is, and then you (Umahi) are dancing around and going to say that no, the next kilometer is different from the next kilometers. Then what is the average cost?”
“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road then, it was about N9.99 billion, almost N10 billion. About 34 or 35 kilometers; the average cost is about N238 million per kilometer,” Makinded added.
Makinde continued, “But when we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, which was 76 kilometers, it was about N43 billion; the average cost is about N500 million per kilometer. And we had two bridges, one over the Ogun River and then one at the Ogbomoso end.”
The Federal Government announced the commencement of construction work on the 700 km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which spans nine states and includes two spurs leading to the northern states.
Umahi made the statement during the official transfer of the first phase of the project to Hitech Construction Company Limited, which would consist of 47.47 kilometers of dual carriageway constructed with concrete pavement.
Uchenna Orji, his Special Adviser (Media), delivered the following statement.
According to him, the minister, who was accompanied by the Federal Ministry of Works’ controller in charge of Lagos State, Mrs. O. I. Kesha, emphasized the importance of all contractors handling Federal Government road projects delivering on time, noting that the government would not tolerate variations resulting from delays or slow pace of work once mobilization was completed.
