Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde accuses Works Minister David Umahi of evading clear per kilometre cost disclosure for the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway He cites Oyo State road projects to insist on fiscal transparency .
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has publicly challenged Minister of Works David Umahi over the lack of clarity in the costing of the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway In a recent exchange that arose from a television interview Makinde accused Umahi of avoiding direct questions about the average cost per kilometre of the project He emphasized that Nigerians deserve full transparency on how public funds are spent pointing to examples from his own administrations road projects in Oyo State to demonstrate that open and detailed cost disclosures are both possible and necessary .
Background The Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway Project
The Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway is a major federal infrastructure initiative designed to run across about seven hundred kilometres and connect nine states The project is being handled by the Federal Ministry of Works and constructed by Hitech Construction Company Limited In 2024 the Minister of Works David Umahi announced the completion of the first phase of the highway a 47.47 kilometre dual carriageway He assured Nigerians that his ministry would not tolerate any delays or unnecessary cost overruns Despite those assurances the public continues to express concern about the transparency of the financial details behind the massive project Many believe that the full cost structure has not been adequately explained to taxpayers .
The TV Exchange That Sparked the Fire
The controversy deepened after a television interview on Arise TV where anchor Rufai Oseni asked Umahi to disclose the cost per kilometre of the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway Umahi reacted sharply describing the question as senseless and arguing that such a calculation was technically inappropriate because costs vary depending on the section of the road terrain design and other construction factors He went as far as challenging the journalists understanding of engineering cost analysis referring to himself as a professor in that field Oseni however maintained that Nigerians had a right to demand cost clarity on projects funded with public money The exchange went viral drawing widespread public reactions and criticism over Umahis unwillingness to provide clear answers .
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Makinde’s Counter Demand for Accountability
Following the interview Governor Makinde weighed in on the debate defending the journalist and criticizing Umahis attitude Makinde said there was no reason to dance around a simple question on cost as it was both fair and necessary for accountability He maintained that Nigerians have the right to know what each kilometre of the highway costs on average .
Makinde used his own administrations road projects in Oyo State as examples of transparent cost reporting He explained that the Moniya to Iseyin road which stretches about sixty five kilometres cost roughly ten billion naira which comes to around one hundred and fifty three million naira per kilometre The Oyo to Iseyin road about thirty five kilometres long cost roughly nine point nine nine billion naira averaging about two hundred and thirty eight million naira per kilometre The Iseyin to Ogbomosho road which is about seventy six kilometres long cost around forty three billion naira averaging a little over five hundred million naira per kilometre Makinde said these examples show that giving the public a clear cost breakdown is both feasible and responsible .
He questioned why the Federal Government could not follow the same principle especially when such an enormous amount of public money is being spent According to Makinde there should be no secrecy in a project that affects millions of Nigerians and will cost billions of naira He also accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of being opaque with the financial details of the coastal highway saying that hiding such figures only weakens public trust .
Umahi’s Defense and Counterarguments
In response to the criticisms Umahi maintained that it was misleading to demand a universal cost per kilometre for the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway He said each section of the highway involves different terrains designs and material requirements making it impossible to provide a uniform figure The minister also explained that payments for the project are tied to specific deliverables with funds released based on certified work progress rather than on an estimated cost per kilometre He argued that some parts of the project including the detailed design and soil reports were still being finalized so it would be premature to assign a general cost value Umahi insisted that the Federal Government was following due process and that comparisons with state level road projects could not accurately reflect the scale and technical complexity of the coastal highway .
Implications and Public Sentiment
Governor Makinde’s comments have reignited the broader call for transparency in large federal projects Many Nigerians view his intervention as a reminder that public infrastructure spending should always be open to scrutiny By contrasting his own administrations transparency with the Federal Governments approach Makinde has drawn attention to the growing gap between state and federal accountability standards .
The dispute also highlights the political tension between state leaders and the central government over issues of oversight and public accountability At the same time the incident has underscored the essential role of journalists and civic groups in demanding openness from public officials Many citizens believe that clearer financial communication would help reduce corruption improve confidence in government and ensure better value for money in public projects .
What’s Next to Watch
The coming months may determine whether the Ministry of Works will release a transparent cost breakdown of the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway showing either an average per kilometre cost or detailed figures for each phase of the project Civil society groups lawmakers and auditors are also expected to call for independent reviews of the contracts and expenditures It remains to be seen whether other state governors will follow Makindes lead in demanding public disclosure for federal projects within their territories The outcome could either strengthen Nigerias accountability culture or further erode confidence in government transparency .
Disclaimer
The news information presented here is based on available reports and reliable sources Readers should cross check updates from official news outlets .