Makinde challenged Umahi to reveal full details of the cost of the coastal highway project

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has criticized the Federal Government’s handling of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, particularly the lack of transparency around its costs.

Speaking at a public event captured in a viral video on Friday, Makinde questioned why the Minister of Public Works, David Umahi, appeared evasive when asked to reveal financial details of the project.

The governor’s statement followed a heated exchange earlier in the week between Umahi and Arise TV presenter, Rufai Oseni. During the interview, Oseni had asked for a breakdown of the cost per kilometer for the multi-trillion naira highway.

In response, Umahi dismissed the question as “basic,” and insisted that construction costs vary along the route and cannot be easily simplified. The minister, who described himself as a “professor” of engineering practice, accused the journalist of a lack of technical understanding.

“This is a fundamental question,” Umahi said during a live interview. “How can you ask the cost per kilometer? The prices are different. The next kilometer is different from the next kilometer. Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I understand engineering very well.”

Oseni, unfazed by the minister’s statement, replied, “Minister, it’s okay, stay dignified, and let the world know who you really are.”

Responding to the exchange, Governor Makinde defended the journalist’s question, stating that the public has the right to clear information on how taxpayers’ money is being spent.

“They asked the minister how wide the coastal road was, and he started dancing around,” Makinde said. “Even though the cost per kilometer varies, there should still be an average.”

The governor cited an example from Oyo State to illustrate his point. “When we built the Oyo to Iseyin road, which is about 34 or 35 kilometres, the cost was about ₦10 billion, which is about ₦238 million per kilometre. For the Iseyin to Ogbomoso road, which is 76 kilometers long and has two bridges, the cost was about ₦43 billion, an average of ₦500 million per kilometre,” he explained.