Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has hit back at Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, declaring himself the governor’s senior “in both engineering and governance.”
Umahi’s remarks come amid a heated exchange over the cost of road projects under the current administration. The minister made the statement while inspecting the Keffi section of the Abuja–Mararaba–Keffi Road alongside Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Saturday.
He said: “I have a lot of respect for governors and the Governors’ Forum. But if a governor who 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.”
Responding to public criticism on road construction costs, Umahi said such debates often ignore technical variations that determine per-kilometre pricing.
He clarified that the Keffi project was expanded from 43 to 45 kilometres using the N73 billion originally approved by the previous administration, explaining that different materials — asphalt, concrete, or surface tracing — carried different cost implications.
He said: “It is mischievous when you ask for the cost of a road length without understanding the parameters.
“You divide N73 billion by 45 kilometres to get an estimated cost. But that’s not the definitive cost — contingency and variance apply.”
Umahi, who once governed Ebonyi State, criticised Makinde’s earlier comments, describing them as uninformed and unprofessional.
He added: “This is road construction, not electrical engineering. Electrical electronics no reach there.
“I am his senior in governance and engineering practice. If he doesn’t understand, he should call me and ask. I will not join issues, but he should withdraw the word that I’m dancing around.
He added that if the Oyo governor “insists,” he should come for a public debate on project costing.
Taking a swipe at Makinde’s reported use of artificial intelligence (AI) to query the cost-per-kilometre logic, Umahi mocked the approach.
“Someone was going around asking AI the difference between cost per kilometre and average cost. I’m happy AI told him what I told him.
“You can become a professor by reason of your practice. God has made me one in field engineering,” he quipped.
On the persistent gridlock along the Abuja–Mararaba–Keffi corridor, Umahi said the Federal Government and Nasarawa State Government were collaborating to remove roadside traders and illegal structures obstructing traffic.