Makinde faults Umahi’s response during Arise TV interview

By Adejayan Gbenga –

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has criticised the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, over his handling of questions concerning the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

Makinde, who spoke on Friday, faulted Umahi’s response during a heated exchange with Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni earlier in the week.

During the live interview on Tuesday, Oseni had asked the minister to provide a breakdown of the project’s cost per kilometre. However, Umahi dismissed the question as “elementary,” insisting that the costs varied from one section to another and were too complex for a journalist to understand.

“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything,” Umahi had said, drawing backlash online over his tone and perceived lack of transparency.

Reacting to the exchange, Governor Makinde said Umahi’s refusal to provide even an average cost raised questions about accountability in the project’s execution.

“They asked a minister how much the coastal road is, and then you are dancing around, saying one kilometre is different from the next. Then what is the average cost?” Makinde queried.

The governor contrasted Umahi’s evasive response with his own administration’s openness regarding project costs in Oyo State.

“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road, it was about ₦9.99 billion — roughly ₦238 million per kilometre for 34 to 35 kilometres. For the Iseyin to Ogbomoso road, which is 76 kilometres and includes two bridges — one over the Ogun River and another at the Ogbomoso end — the cost was about ₦43 billion, averaging ₦500 million per kilometre,” he explained.