According to report, Phrank Shaibu, who serves as the Special Assistant to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has responded to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, asserting that there's no need to delay the disclosure of the full cost of the Lagos-Calabar highway project until Friday.
Recently, SaharaReporters revealed Atiku's questioning of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration for awarding the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to Gilbert Chagoury's Hitech Construction Company Limited without clear evidence of competitive bidding or a decision by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Atiku raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the project's award, particularly criticizing Umahi for withholding information regarding the contractual amount involved.
He also questioned why the Tinubu administration allocated N1.06 trillion for the pilot phase of the project, covering a relatively short distance from Eko Atlantic to the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
In response, Umahi, through his Special Adviser on Media, Orji Uchenna, pledged to disclose the total cost and breakdown of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project on Friday in Lagos.
Umahi further criticized Atiku, suggesting that the former Vice President lacks understanding of financial figures.
However, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku's aide, intervened on Wednesday, challenging Umahi's decision to delay the revelation of the price tag for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project.
Shaibu, in a post shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), questioned why Umahi needed several days to disclose the project's cost. He implied that Umahi might be using the time to manipulate the figures before revealing them to the public.
He sarcastically suggested that a minute should suffice to obtain the cost from the supposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Hitech. He also hinted at skepticism regarding the transparency of the process, adding a playful reference to traditional Nigerian delicacies ('shaki', 'ponmo', and 'orishirishi').
Comments