Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has questioned the cast of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a project recently approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at a public event in a now-viral video, Makinde criticized the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for avoiding direct answers regarding the project’s cost.
According to him, there was no reason for the minister to be “dancing around the cost” instead of giving Nigerians a clear explanation.
Makinde’s comments followed a heated on-air exchange between Umahi and Arise TV host, Rufai Oseni, earlier in the week.
During the interview, Oseni had asked Umahi to provide a detailed, kilometre-by-kilometre breakdown of the project’s expenses.
The minister dismissed the request, insisting that costs vary from section to section and were too technical for the journalist to grasp.
He went as far as describing himself as a “professor of practice” in engineering while defending his position.
Oseni, however, stood his ground, replying, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”
In response to the exchange, Governor Makinde defended the journalist’s question and emphasized the need for accountability.
He explained that it was fair to ask for the project’s average cost per kilometre, citing examples from Oyo State to illustrate transparency in project budgeting.
Makinde said, “They asked a minister how much is the coastal road is, and then you (Umahi) are dancing around and going to say that no, the next kilometre is different from the next kilometres. Then what is the average cost?
“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.”