Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road: Umahi Rebukes Makinde Over Cost Criticism

The Minister of Works, David Umahi has publicly pushed back against Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde after the later criticized him regarding the cost per kilometer of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Umahi described himself as Makinde’s senior in both engineering and governance, stating he has a lot of respect for governors, but will respond when a governor who is “far my junior” insults him.

He asserted his own professional competence, boasting: “One thing I’m very good at is Mathematics. I’m an ‘A’ student in mathematics.”

Umahi’s reaction stemmed from Makinde’s comment mocking the Minister for allegedly “dancing around the cost” when pressed for the per-kilometer price during a television interview.

Defending the project’s costing, Umahi explained that a simple cost-per-kilometer figure is misleading because the price is dependent on the specific materials used. He stated that the cost will differ if the project uses surface tracing, asphalt, or the concrete being used on the current project. He also mentioned that the initial 43-kilometer project was extended to about 45 kilometers to fully utilize the N73 billion allocated by the previous administration.

Umahi concluded that it is “mischievous” to demand a single cost-per-kilometer figure when the cost varies across different sections of the highway.