I’m an “A” student, your senior in engineering…

The Minister of Works, Engineer David Umahi, has reacted angrily to comments made by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on the ongoing controversy over the cost of road projects under the current administration.

Umahi spoke on Saturday while inspecting the Keffi section of the Abuja-Mararaba-Keffi road, alongside Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule.

He told his guest: “I have a lot of respect for governors and the Governors Forum, but if a governor who is much younger than me in engineering and governance insults me, I will respond.

“One thing I’m very good at is math. I’m an A student in math.”

● Controversy over mileage cost

The minister said: “This controversy about the cost per kilometre, I told you that this project is about 43 kilometers but we increased it to use the money given for the project by the last administration which was $73 billion, we increased it to about 45 kilometres.

“If we’re doing surface marking on the dock, the cost will be different, if we’re using asphalt on the dock, the cost will be different, if we’re using concrete like we’re using, the cost will be different.

“It is malicious to ask the cost of a stretch of road but according to the professor’s information you can ask the cost per kilometer it could be estimated, it could be divided into sections.

“First, the estimated cost and the estimated cost of this project, you can divide 73 billion naira over 45 kilometers, which is the estimated cost. This cost has the element of contingency and the element of VOP. They will probably not be used.

“When you finish this project, and obviously you can see that in this project there are places where you’re using the existing median and there are places where you’re going to build a new median, will the cost be the same?

“It’s not possible. When you’re done, you’ve taken out the VOP, you’ve taken out the contingency, you haven’t used, whether it’s 40 or 70 billion NW and you’ve probably done 50 kilometers, then that’s when you divide and you have an average cost. The final and estimated average cost is a probable element.

“When I heard that someone, my brother and friend Governor Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, said… I don’t want to conflict with him. I think he is an engineer, an electrician, they call him electrical electronics. This is road construction.

Christian genocide narrative in Nigeria: You’re wrong, Senate tells US Congress

“Electric electronics doesn’t get there. I’m his senior in governance and his senior in engineering, so anything he doesn’t understand, he should call me and ask, and I won’t join the issue because I have respect for our governors.

“I respect him as a friend and brother, but he should withdraw the word that I am dancing. I have never danced, and if he insists, he should come for the debate. This is very important.

“There’s no ambiguity in the cost per kilometer, but I’m teaching them that the cost per kilometer could be broken down into estimated cost, which has elements of variance, and average cost, which is definitive. That’s what it is.

“The same also applies when someone dangling without knowing it asks the AI ​​what the difference is between the cost per kilometer and the average cost.

“I’m happy that the AI ​​told him what I told him. I’m happy that the NUC program on who is a professor also proved me right. You can become a professor based on your practice, and I think God made me one when it comes to practice. Field engineering program, that’s what it is, you can’t go back.”

Speaking on the traffic congestion along the Abuja-Mararaba-Keffi highway, Umahi said the Federal Government would seek the consent of the Nasarawa State Government to find a permanent solution to the problem.

He explained that the state government would be
It was necessary to demolish the shacks along the road corridor because so much illegal commercial activity was taking place.

Umahi said: “We have roadside market activities in several locations, our inspection today, we will go with the Governor of Nasarawa State, if the Governor carries out demolition to create additional roadway, we will arrange additional roadway in those places and there will be no more traffic in those places.” [Vanguard]

Related