I Have Heard People Say Seyi Tinubu Is In The Board Of Hi-Tech — Umahi Defends Hi-Tech Contract

The Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has defended the procurement process for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project amid criticism over the award of the contract to Hi-Tech Construction Company. Umahi spoke during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, October 23, 2026.

During the interview, the presenter cited criticisms from former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and others, who have questioned the absence of competitive bidding for the project. The presenter also raised concerns about the relationship between Chagoury and Tinubu, asking whether the contract award was intended to benefit the President.

In response, Umahi questioned whether the presenter was suggesting that he awarded the contract to Hi-Tech because of its owner’s alleged relationship with Tinubu. “Are you insinuating that, you know, or are you accusing me that I did the award to Hi-Tech just because he is close to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, according to you?” the minister asked.

Umahi said he was prepared to explain the procurement method adopted for the project, adding that he had heard claims that Tinubu’s son was a member of Hi-Tech’s board. “Because I’ve heard people that say Seyi Tinubu is in the board of Hi-Tech. We have the board of Hi-Tech, you know, because before we did pre-qualification,” he said.

When the presenter asked whether Tinubu was a member of the company’s board, Umahi replied that he was not. “He’s not. He’s not,” the minister said before proceeding to explain the procurement methods permitted under the law.

According to Umahi, there are three main procurement methods available, alongside a fourth method for emergency procurement, which he said he would address separately. “If you believe that five, six people have very good knowledge about this kind of construction, you invite them to bid, first of all, to qualify,” Umahi said.

He explained that the names of the companies are then submitted to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for assessment. “You send their names to BPP. BPP will look at them, and then we ask about the financial, the technical, so they will be evaluated technically and commercially,” he said.

Umahi added that companies found to be financially and technically viable would be cleared to submit bids. “And if they are viable, they will now send back to us. You can now obtain bids from them,” he said.

The minister identified direct procurement as the third method, explaining that it applies to specialised procurement in which competitive bidding is not undertaken. “So the third one is direct procurement. Direct procurement is where there are no competitive bidding, but it’s a specialised kind of procurement,” Umahi said.

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