Works Minister Dave Umahi yesterday said former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s poor understanding of figures made him to goof in his analysis of the cost of the ongoing 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar coastal road.
According to him, apart from the economic benefits of the project, it will connect the entire country.
Umahi described the issues raised by Atiku as “a gross misrepresentation of facts and figures” and a ploy to mislead Nigerians.
The erstwhile Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election in a statement on Sunday questioned the award of the contract to Hitech Construction Company without competitive bidding.
He added that apart from the total cost of the project being unknown, N1.06 trillion had been released for the pilot phase which starts from Eko Atlantic on Victoria Island to the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
But Umahi stated that the President Tinubu administration has, in spite of the cost of construction materials, remained unmatched in prudence, cost-effectiveness, speedy and quality delivery of road projects.
He spoke while inspecting the rehabilitation of the Enugu – Port Harcourt dual carriageway section 4 (Aba – Port Harcourt).
The minister said he would between today and Friday run the figures of the coastal road which will link Lagos and Calabar, Cross River State for the Adamawa State-born politician to understand.
His said: “He (Atiku) doesn’t understand figures. I am going to run figures for him to understand, and he will understand how prudent the administration of President Tinubu has been. He will understand how prudence is taking centre stage in this administration.
“I will do that in a press conference on my visit to Lagos this week.
“His Excellency, former Vice President Akitu Abubakar, may not know that the third section of the project is starting in Calabar by July.”
