David Umahi, Nigeria’s Minister of Works has replied Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state over his recent remark that the former was dancing around when he was asked to give the cost per kilometre of the Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway.
The minister who spoke on Saturday during an inspection tour of the Keffi Bridge and the Nasarawa–Toto Road projects, said he’s not Governor Makinde’s mate in the enginerring profession.
According to Umhai, he also became governor before the Oyo state governor saying the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project has been politicised.
Recall that Makinde had while responding to the controversy that trailed Umahi’s refusal to answer how much it cost to construct a kilometer of the Coastal Road, said the minister should have answered the “elementary questions’ rather than dillydallying on the issue.
Reacting, Umahi who described Maknide as his “brother” however stated that the governor should not have criticized him openly, saying he should have come to him for clarifications as his “senior” in the engineering profession.
Umahi: “I heard that my brother and friend, Governor Makinde, said something about the cost per kilometre. I don’t want to join issues with him.
“I think he is an engineer, while I am an electrical engineer, they call us ‘elect-elect’. But this road construction matter, ‘elect-elect no reach there.
“I am his senior both in governance and in engineering practice. So, anything he doesn’t understand, he should call me and ask. I have great respect for him as my friend and brother, but he should withdraw the statement that I’m dancing around. I never danced around. If he insists, he should come for a debate, which is very important.
“There is no ambiguity in cost per kilometre.
“I am teaching them that cost per kilometre can be divided into estimated cost, which has elements of variance, and average cost, which is definitive. The average cost of a definitive project and the estimated cost are probable elements.
“When the project is completed, and you remove what you didn’t use, such as contingencies and VOP, then you have your actual cost.
“When somebody who is dangling without knowledge goes to ask AI what the difference is between cost per kilometre and average cost, I’m happy that AI told him exactly what I said,” the minister said.
Umahi had steered controversy after he clashed with Rufai Oseni of the Arise Television who asked him to give the cost per kilometer of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
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