The Minister of Works, Sen. (Engr) David Umahi has asked the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde to withdraw his statement of him “dancing around the cost” per kilometre of Lagos -Calabar Coastal highway project.
Report has it that the Oyo Governor at an event on Friday mocked the Minister over the fall-out of his interview on Arise TV recently.
Makinde, who spoke in a viral video, said there was no need for David Umahi, to be “dancing around the cost” of the project, adding that the Minister can just give the average cost.
Citing an example, the Governor said, “When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road then, it was about N9.99 billion, almost N10 billion. About 34 or 35 kilometres, average cost is about N238 million per kilometre.
“But when we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, that was 76 kilometres, it was about N43 billion, average cost is about N500 million per kilometre. And we had two bridges, one over the Ogun river and then one at Ogbomoso end.”
Reacting to this at the inspection of the Mararaba-Keffi federal highway project on Saturday, the Minister said he doesn’t want to join issue with the Governor because he has respect for the Governors’ forum.
According to him, “I don’t want to join issue with the Governor. I think he is an Engineer, am electrician, they called it elect elect, this is road construction, elect elect no reach there.
“Am his senior in governance and his senior in engineering practice and so anything he doesn’t understand, he should call me and ask and I will not join issue because I have respect for our Governors.
“I have respect for him as my friend and brother but, he should withdraw the words that am dancing around. I never danced around and if he insists, he should come for debate, that is very important.
“There is no ambiguity in cost per kilometer but am teaching them that cost per kilometer could be divided into estimated cost, which has element of variance and average cost, which is definitive. That is what it is”, he said.
Umahi also expressed delight that artificial intelligence (AI) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) had affirmed his earlier explanations, saying, “I’m happy that AI told him exactly what I said.
“You can become a professor through practice, and I think God has made me one when it comes to field engineering.”
Speaking on the Mararaba-Keffi highway, the Minister explained that the ongoing project, originally pegged at 43 km, had been expanded to 45 km to fully utilise the ₦73bn allocated by the last administration.
He said the cost structure of a road depends on whether the shoulders are made of asphalt, surface tracing, or concrete, stressing that each material carries a different cost implication.“It is being mischievous when people just ask for the cost per kilometre of a road without understanding the components. If you divide ₦73bn by 45 kilometres, that gives you an estimated cost.
“But that figure includes contingency and variation of price (VOP) elements that may never be used. When the project is completed, and you deduct unused contingency and VOP, you then arrive at the actual cost per kilometre”, Umahi added.
The Minister, who expressed disappointment over Contractor’s “uncooperative attitude,” said despite multiple visits and repeated directives, the company failed to maintain the other carriageway and continued to flout project specifications.
“Some contractors working on federal roads are not in partnership with the government, they are only interested in the money,” he said.He continued: “It took several interventions to get China Harbour to maintain the other carriageway they were not working on. This level of indiscipline and disregard for public interest will no longer be tolerated.”
Umahi also directed that no contractor should lay binder or pavement without completing the shoulders, stressing that such negligence often leads to premature road failure.
The Minister warned that payment certificates must no longer be issued for non-compliant works.
“I take responsibility, along with my staff, for not taking prompt action earlier. Any controller or director under the ministry who fails to escalate challenges within 24 hours will be recalled”, he warned.According to him, the Federal Ministry of Works has now adopted a stricter policy to ensure accountability, requiring all project controllers and zonal directors to report challenges directly to him to prevent delays and poor-quality delivery.
He further disclosed that the revised construction design for the project involves stabilising the base with 3.5 per cent cement mixed with stone base, constructing the shoulders with 20 cm of concrete, and milling the existing asphalt before applying binder and wearing courses, a method he said guarantees a lifespan of at least 40 years.
The Mararaba–Keffi Road, spanning 43.65 kilometres, is one of the busiest corridors linking the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Nasarawa and other North-Central states.
The project was initially awarded at ₦73bn but has since been redesigned to improve structural integrity and longevity.
