Minister of Works, David Umahi, delivered a rebuttal to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration regarding the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project. Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, raised concerns over the project’s alleged lack of transparency and its award to Hitech, a company associated with Tinubu’s ally, Gilbert Chagoury, without competitive bidding.
Umahi, during an interaction with journalists in Port Harcourt after inspecting rehabilitation efforts on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road and the Eleme-Onne Road, dismissed Atiku’s remarks as uninformed. He deemed Atiku’s lack of grasp of the project’s intricacies as unfortunate, highlighting his readiness to provide accurate information during a forthcoming press conference in Lagos.
Expressing disappointment in Atiku’s assertions, Umahi emphasized his role as a seasoned politician and stakeholder in Nigeria, asserting his commitment to prudent governance. He revealed that President Tinubu himself had scrutinized the project’s costs in collaboration with him, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Umahi pledged to disclose the project’s actual costs to the public, intending to showcase the administration’s judicious management of resources. He challenged Atiku to await the unveiling of these figures, underscoring his expertise in engineering and the project’s strategic importance in national integration.
In response, Atiku’s Special Assistant, Paul Ibe, reiterated the call for transparency, urging the Tinubu administration to provide clarity on the project’s expenses. He emphasized the public’s right to know and posed pertinent questions regarding the project’s financial details, calling for accountability from the government.
The exchange underscores the ongoing debate over the transparency and cost-effectiveness of major infrastructure projects under the Tinubu administration, with both sides vowing to defend their positions in the public domain.
