Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has criticised the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, following the minister’s heated exchange with Arise Television presenter, Rufai Oseni, which went viral earlier in the week.
Speaking at an event on Friday, Makinde defended the journalist’s line of questioning and accused Umahi of evading transparency on the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
“They asked a minister how much the coastal road costs, and then you (Umahi) start dancing around, saying that the next kilometre is different from the previous one. Then what is the average cost?” Makinde queried.
“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road, it cost about ₦9.99 billion—roughly ₦10 billion—for about 34 or 35 kilometres, which is an average of about ₦238 million per kilometre.
“But when we did the Iseyin to Ogbomoso road, which is 76 kilometres, it cost about ₦43 billion, averaging ₦500 million per kilometre. That project also included two bridges—one over the Ogun River and another at the Ogbomoso end,” the governor explained.
Umahi’s confrontation with Oseni occurred live on television when the presenter asked the minister to provide a breakdown of the coastal highway’s cost per kilometre.
Apparently irritated by the question, Umahi rebuked Oseni, insisting that the inquiry was “elementary” and that the technical details were too complex for the journalist to understand.
“These are elementary questions. A process is ongoing. Payments are being made, and you are asking how the money has been utilised? The funds are tied to the project and are released according to the work done,” Umahi said.
“When a certificate is generated and approved through the Ministry of Works, it is sent to the funders, who verify the progress before releasing payments. How can you be asking for the cost per kilometre? The prices vary—the next kilometre is not the same as the previous one.
“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I am a professor in this field. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking,” the minister added.
Unfazed, Oseni responded, “Minister, it’s alright. Keep dignifying yourself and let the world see who you truly are.”
