Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The recent comments of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on the cost per Kilometre of federal road projects has provoked the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi to take a swipe at him.
According to Umahi, the governor lacked a proper understanding of road engineering and cost computation.
This was a sequel to the mockery made by the Oyo State governor during an interview on Arise TV recently.
The governor had reportedly requested the minister to come out clean on the cost per kilometre of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
In his speech during an inspection tour with the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr Abdullahi Sule, on Saturday, Umahi said it was misleading to make blanket comparisons on the cost of road construction without considering varying design specifications, materials, and site conditions.
The project inspected included the Keffi-Abuja Road, Keffi Bridge, and Nasarawa-Toto Road.
According to the minister, the ongoing project, originally pegged at 43 kilometres, had been expanded to 45 kilometres to fully utilise the ₦73bn allocated by the last administration.
He explained that the cost structure of a road depends on whether the shoulders are made of asphalt, surface tracing, or concrete, stressing that each material carries a different cost implication.
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