Minister of Works, Engineer David Umahi, has reacted angrily to comments made by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the ongoing controversy about the cost of road projects under the current administration.
Umahi made his feelings known while inspecting the Keffi section of the Abuja-Mararaba-Keffi road, alongside Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, on Saturday.
He told his host, “I have a lot of respect for governors and the Governors Forum but if a governor that is far my junior in engineering and governance insults me, I will talk back.
“One thing I’m very good at is mathematics. I’m an A student in mathematics.”
Controversy on cost per kilometre
The minister said, “This controversy about cost per kilometre, I have told you that this project is about 43 kilometres but we have increased it to utilise the money given for the project by the last administration which was N73 billion. We have increased it to about 45 kilometres.
“If we are doing surface tracing on the shoulder, the cost will be different; if we are using asphalt on the shoulder, the cost will be different; if we are using concrete as we are using, the cost will be different.
“It is being mischievous when you ask for the cost of a length of road but by the professorial information, you can ask for, the cost per kilometre could be estimated, could be divided to sections.
“First, estimated cost, and estimated cost of this project, you can divide N73 billion over 45 kilometres, that is the estimated cost. This cost has the element of contingency and element of vop, they may not likely be used.
“When you have finished this project and of course, you can see that in this project, there are places you are using the existing median and there are places you will construct new median, will the cost be the same?
“It is not possible. When you have finished, you remove the vop, you remove contingency you have not used, be it N40 or N70 billion and probably you have done 50 kilometres, then that is when you divide and have an average cost. Average cost of definitive and estimated costs is a probable element.
“When I heard what somebody, my brother and friend Governor Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State said…I don’t want to join issues with him. I think he is an Engineer, an electrician, they call it electrical electronics. This is road construction.
“Electrical electronics no reach there. I am his senior in governance and his senior in engineering practice and so anything he doesn’t understand, he should call me and ask and I will not join issue because I have respect for our governors.
“I have respect for him as my friend and brother but he should withdraw the word that I am dancing around. I never danced around and if he insists, he should come for debate, that is very important.
“There is no ambiguity in cost per kilometre but I’m teaching them that cost per kilometre could be divided into estimated cost, which has element of variance and average cost, which is definitive. That is what it is.
“So also is when somebody that is dangling without knowledge going asking AI ‘What is the difference between cost per kilometre and average cost.’
“I am happy that AI told him what I told him. I’m happy that NUC programme on who is a professor also made me right. You can become a professor by the reason of your practice and I think God has made me one when it comes to practice. Field engineering programme, that is what it is, you can’t take it back.”
Speaking about the traffic congestion along the Abuja-Mararaba-Keffi highway, Umahi said the federal government would require the buy-in of the Nasarawa State Government to find a permanent solution to the problem.
He explained that the state government would be required to take down shanties along the road corridor because there were so many illegal trading activities going on.
Umahi said, “We have market trading on the road in a number of locations. Our inspection today, we are going with the Governor of Nasarawa State. If the governor will do the demolition to create additional carriage way, we will fix additional carriage way in those locations and there will be no more traffic in those locations.”
