Former Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticized the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, over his handling of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project. Atiku condemned Umahi's claim that the 700km highway project would cost N15.6 trillion, describing it as a "highway to fraud."
In a statement released by his Media Office in Abuja on Thursday, April 11, Atiku accused Umahi of altering the initial plan of the project after awarding the contract to Gilbert Chagoury's Hitech without competitive bidding. Atiku lambasted Umahi for initially stating that Hitech would fully fund the project, only to later reveal that the company could only raise 6% of the money for the pilot phase, calling it deceitful.
The statement highlighted Umahi's recent media rounds where he claimed the road project would cost N15.6 trillion, while also stating that the railway component would be costed separately. Atiku pointed out that this cost is equivalent to the total budget of all 36 states of Nigeria combined, calling it scandalous.
Atiku also criticized Umahi for admitting that the project was awarded to Hitech without competitive bidding, questioning why Umahi claimed that only Hitech was competent enough to handle the project. Atiku accused Umahi of attempting to deceive Nigerians and called for transparency in the project's execution.
The former Vice President further raised concerns about Umahi's conflicting statements regarding the release of funds to Hitech, questioning the minister's credibility. Atiku urged Umahi to provide clarity on the project's cost and ensure that due process is followed.
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