“I’m Your Senior In Governance And Engineering” — Umahi Dares Makinde To Public Debate

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has openly challenged Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to a public debate over the controversy surrounding the cost per kilometre of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

According to Ireporter Online, Umahi declared himself a senior to Makinde both in governance and in engineering practice, emphasizing that the governor should refrain from commenting on matters beyond his technical understanding.

The minister accused Makinde of making uninformed political statements rather than seeking clarification on the project’s cost structure. He asserted that the Oyo governor lacks the necessary technical knowledge to question the calculations or methodology involved in the highway’s construction.

Makinde had earlier called on Umahi to come clean about the actual cost per kilometre of the project, accusing him of “dancing around” the issue. In response, Umahi, while inspecting the Keffi Bridge and the Nasarawa–Toto Road alongside Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, said Makinde’s remarks were uncalled for and rooted in ignorance of civil engineering principles.

“I heard that my brother and friend, Governor Makinde, made a statement about the cost per kilometre. I think he is an engineer—an electrical engineer—but road construction is a different matter. I am his senior in both governance and engineering practice,” Umahi remarked.

The minister urged Makinde to either withdraw his comment or face him in a public debate, insisting that there was nothing ambiguous about the project’s cost estimation. He further explained that the total project cost includes allowances for contingencies and variation of prices, which may not necessarily be utilized.

“There is no ambiguity in the cost per kilometre,” he said. “The cost can be viewed as either estimated or average. The estimated cost includes variables that might change during execution, while the average cost becomes definitive after completion when unused contingencies are deducted.”

Umahi added that even Artificial Intelligence systems validated his explanation when queried on the difference between estimated and average cost, suggesting that those criticizing him lacked proper understanding of the matter.