By Uche Amunike
The Ohaneze Ndigbo has expressed their gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for having the second Niger Bridge completed finally, adding that as a result of that long awaited achievement, they have forgiven the President for all the empty promises he made to the Igbo people during the electoral process of 2015.
Speaking, while lauding the President for ensuring the second Niger Bridge was completed, the Secretary-General of the Socio-Cultural organization, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, stated that with the completion of that project, President Buhari has fulfilled the promises he made to the Igbo people.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has however announced that even though the bridge was completed, some link roads leading to it were still under construction.
In reaction, the Ohaneze scribe stated: ‘Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has praised the Federal Government’s giant strides in the realization of the second Niger Bridge up to 95% according to the Ministry of Works, we received the cheery news from the Minister of Works, Mr. Babatunde Fashola as the fulfillment of the Government’s promises to the Nigerians and Ndigbo in particular, and it will strengthen the level of people’s confidence in expecting more from the Buhari’s administration.’
‘We are conscious of the fact that there are about 3.3 km of uncompleted road from the Asaba axis and 7km of uncompleted road from the Anambra axis of the 2nd Niger Bridge.’
‘We are hopeful that the contractors will expedite actions for the realization of 10.3 km roads from both axis of the roads to ensure that commuters and road users will enjoy the benefits of the 2nd Niger Bridge during the festival period of Christmas and New Year.’
‘This is a legacy project that Ndigbo will always refer to as the mother of all infrastructural facilities completed by Buhari’s Government and should be renamed after Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu bridge from the proposed name as Buhari’s Bridge.’
‘Ndigbo are relieved of unbelievable treaties of previous Governments on the second Niger bridge and also pardon President Buhari over his inability to fulfill other 2015 electoral promises, which included the revamping of the Enugu Coal mine, but the announcement of the completion of the 2nd Niger Bridge including a 35km bypass road linking Anambra and Delta States through a concession under a Public Private Partnership scheme has restored the confidence of Ndigbo that the projected started on September 1st, 2018 will fully be ready for a commission by December 2022’, he concluded.
The minister gave the assurance that the Bridge would be open in December in order to ease the high influx of commuters, that festiveperiod.
Hear him: ‘What I am targeting is to see if the road can be opened to the public before Christmas and I hope this will be achieved. Opening the road before Christmas will give relief to a large number of travellers who embark on journeys during that period.’
