Senate Budget Session Turns Rowdy as Oshiomhole, Umahi Clash Over N15trn Coastal Highway Project

 

A heated verbal exchange erupted at the Senate on Wednesday between the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) during a budget defence session, as lawmakers scrutinised the proposed N15 trillion Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.

Tempers flared when Oshiomhole questioned the funding structure, transparency measures, and reported delays surrounding the project, prompting a sharp reaction from the minister.

A visibly agitated Umahi accused the former Edo State governor of disrespect and inappropriate language while responding to a line of questioning from the lawmaker.

“Sir, are you judging or asking me questions?” Umahi queried during the exchange.

Oshiomhole fired back, saying, “You are not entitled to interrupt me,” escalating tensions in the chamber as committee members looked on.

The confrontation drew reactions from other senators, some of whom backed Oshiomhole and cautioned the minister over his remarks.

“You must mind your language. You were in this Senate for how long — two months, a two-month senator,” one lawmaker said in a remark that drew murmurs across the room.

The committee chairman quickly stepped in to restore order, urging both men to maintain decorum and continue with the proceedings.

During the session, Oshiomhole also commended President Bola Tinubu for discontinuing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited’s tax credit model for funding road projects, describing the framework as difficult to monitor in terms of transparency.

Responding, Umahi defended the shift toward private sector participation in infrastructure financing, describing it as a positive development. He, however, blamed project delays on the failure to release allocated funds, pointing to the finance ministry as a bottleneck.

The minister added that President Tinubu was not aware of the funding delays and assured lawmakers that steps were being taken to address the challenges.

Both Umahi and Oshiomhole are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.