Minister of Works, David Umahi, has come to the defense of Chief Bola Tinubu’s administration, asserting that Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, lacks an understanding of figures and the prudence demonstrated by Tinubu’s government.
Umahi’s remarks were made in response to Atiku’s questioning of the decision to award the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without competitive bidding.
Atiku also challenged Tinubu’s administration to disclose the full cost breakdown of the project. He also wondered why the Tinubu administration released N1.06 trillion for the pilot phase, or six per cent of the project, which begins at Eko Atlantic and is expected to terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Orji Uchenna, Umahi dismissed Atiku’s concerns, stating, “He (Atiku Abubakar) doesn’t understand figures. I am going to run figures for him to understand, and he will understand how prudent the administration of Tinubu has been.
“He will understand how prudency is taking centre stage in this administration. The President has once queried me on the cost of ongoing projects nationwide. I had to analyse every basic rate of construction materials to arrive at our unit rates. I showed it to Mr. President. He still thinks I should bring down the cost of projects.
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“At the same time, the contractors are crying that I am oppressing them so much by reviewing the costs of their projects downwards. They lamented that what they were getting before, they are no longer getting it now. They cried out. But when I run the figures, Nigerians will see what this present administration is doing.
“So, I’m not here to run the figures now. I will do that in a press conference on my visit to Lagos from April 10, 2024 to April 12, 2024,” he concluded.
