700B Lagos-Calabar Road: Tell Us The Cost Per Kilometer And Stop The Needless Attack, Ikubese Asks Umahi

Former presidential aspirants and convener of the #YesWeFit Revolutionary movement, Dr. Thomas-wilson Ikubese has added his voice to the call for transparency and accountability over the ongoing 750km Lagos-Calabar coastal road.

This is following the verbal exchange between the Honourable Minister for Works, Engr David Umahi and Rufai Oseni of Arise TV.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Ikubese also urged Nigerian political leaders across all levels to serve with humility and be readily accountable at all times.

Below is the full text of the statement unedited;

ACCOUNTABILITY AND SERVANTHOOD IN LEADERSHIP

There are two core values expected of anyone occupying a position of leadership. These are accountability and servanthood (humility).

A political leader holds office for the good of the people to whom he/she MUST be accountable at all times and address with utmost humility.

The political leader is the SERVANT, while the people are the “masters”.

Unfortunately in our clime, political leaders see themselves as the masters, while the people whom they’re supposed to serve are treated like underdogs who must bow at their feet.

The heated argument that occured yesterday between Rufai Oseni of Arise TV and Engr David Umahi, Honourable Minister for Works would not have come up, if the latter understood his place as a servant-leader who must be accountable to the people and do so with humility.

Rufai asked to know, on behalf of Nigerians , the cost per kilometer of the ongoing 750km Lagos-Calabar coastal road and how the first tranche of the over 700 billion naira loan obtained for the project is being deployed.

Rather than answer the questions in simple terms, the honourable minister was attacking the person of Rufai with such cockiness of power, ending the 31 minutes of jive-throwing interview without answering the posed questions!

If Nigeria will emerge from this mess and become the nation of our dreams, we the people must hold our political leaders to account and let them know that they are the servants and we the people are the kings!

I herein lend my voice to that of Rufai Oseni, requesting that the honourable minister tell us the cost per kilometer of the road as awarded and update us on the deployment thus far of the over 700 billion naira first tranche of the loan obtained for the project.

I call on the various parastatals and ministries to host websites and social media platforms wherein they update their activities regularly in the interest of our dear nation.

Thomas-Wilson Ikubese
8th October, 2025nimec