Arguments on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, which started during a live interview on October 7 between Rufai Oseni, a TV anchor, and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, have degenerated.
Recall that there was a heated argument that escalated into a confrontation between Rufai Oseni and David Umahi on Arise TV about the cost and implementation of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
During the said live interview, Rufai Oseni asked David Umahi to provide details on the cost per kilometer of the coastal road project.
In response, Umahi said he will not provide answers to Oseni’s question, describing it as insignificant and nonsensical.
He further claimed that the question was “elementary” and insisted the costs varied by terrain.
Oseni also accused Umahi, the Minister of Works, of reporting him to President Bola Tinubu over his questions about the project. Who are you? Umahi asked as he stressed that he was too small for him to report.
In defense, Oseni claimed that President Bola Tinubu made reference to his questions during the commissioning of the projects, and the whole world, particularly Nigerians, heard him.
The refusal of Umahi to provide answers prompted Oseni to argue further, which escalated the situation, turning the conversation into a confrontation.
Umahi claimed to be a professor of engineering.
When Oseni asked him to name the school where he got his professorship from, the Works Minister defended his experience and qualifications, clarifying that he is a professor in practice.
The confrontation between Rufai Oseni and David Umahi became viral, with fragments of the film being shared on social media.
Many netizens, including public analysts, have shared their views about the matter.
Why dance around details of the project’s cost? Makinde slams Umahi
Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State, also reacted to a heated live exchange between Rufai Oseni, a TV anchor on Arise TV, and David Umahi, the Minister of Works on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Makinde, who joined calls for greater transparency on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, questioned why the Minister of Works, David Umahi, was “dancing around” details of the project’s cost.
He expressed concerns that the minister’s refusal to provide a clear figure had raised more questions than answers about the highway, one of President Bola Tinubu’s most ambitious infrastructure projects.
“You’re dancing around and saying the next kilometer is different from the next,” Makinde said. “Then what does it cost on average?”
“When we did the Oyo–Iseyin road, about 35 kilometers, it cost nearly N10 billion; that’s about N238 million per kilometer. For the Iseyin–Ogbomoso road, 76 kilometers cost N43 billion, or roughly N500 million per kilometer, he further added.
I am your superior in engineering and governance, Umahi fires back at Makinde
David Umahi, Minister of Works, has declared himself superior to Makinde both in engineering and governance.
This was made by the minister while inspecting the Keffi section of the Abuja–Mararaba–Keffi Road project in Nasarawa State, alongside Governor Abdullahi Sule in response to Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State over his criticism of the cost of Federal Government road projects.
Recall that Makinde had accused Umahi of “dancing around” the question of the cost per kilometer of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.
“Let me make it clear. I am an A student in mathematics. I’m also his senior in engineering and his senior in governance. So when people like that speak, I take it with understanding, but I don’t like it when people make ignorant remarks about technical matters,” Umahi added.
He said it was misleading for anyone to simplify road construction costs by dividing total project figures by kilometers covered, noting that such an approach ignores key engineering variables.
“Road construction is not about dividing the total cost by the number of kilometers. Each section of a road differs in terrain, soil condition, drainage system, and design specifications. Some portions have bridges, some have retaining walls, some have median barriers, and some use concrete pavement. So you cannot have a uniform cost per kilometer,” he added.
He challenged the Oyo State Governor to a public technical debate if he believed the Ministry of Works was evading transparency on project costing.
“If Governor Makinde insists that I’m dancing around the cost issue, let him come for a debate. I’ll explain to him the entire cost breakdown of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and why it is structured the way it is.” But I advise him to withdraw that statement because it was not made from an informed position,” Umahi said.
He clarified that government projects include contingency provisions and Value of Project (VOP) adjustments to account for inflation, design variations, and market fluctuations.
“Costing a road project before completion is only an estimate. It is at completion that we can determine the final average cost. Before then, several variables are at play, including exchange rate, material cost, and design review,” he said.
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