Ohanaeze Ndigbo salutes Buhari over the opening of the Second Niger Bridge

PAN-Igbo socio-cultural organisation Ohanaeze Ndigbo has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping his promise to complete the Second Niger Bridge before the expiration of his tenure.

Since Nigeria's return to democracy in 1999, successive governments have been working on building a second Niger Bridge as it is a vital link between the east and west of the country. Way back in 1965, the first bridge was built but it is currently overwhelmed as the volume of cars crossing it have made the construction of a second one vital.

Last month, federal minister of works Babatunde Fashola, announced that the federal government has completed the construction of the bridge linking Asaba in Delta State with Onitsha in Anambra State. This second bridge built by Julius Berger, includes a 1,590-metre reinforced crossing with maximum spans of 150 meters, a motorway interchange and a toll station.

Praising this temporary opening of the Second Niger Bridge to motorists, Ohanaeze said that the bridge is a key national infrastructure, with immense socio-economic benefits not only for the contiguous states but for the entire nation. Ohanaeze publicity secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, said that the clamour for a Second Niger Bridge became necessary shortly after the Nigerian Civil War.

He said: “Apart from the traffic lock jam on the bridge, the greatest fear was that the bridge had evidence of cracks such that the stress of weights could cause a collapse of all the vehicles and their contents into the river Niger with untold consequences. Based on the general clamour for a Second Niger Bridge, the former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, in 1992, challenged the Nigerian engineers to come up with a design of the second bridge.

"It was believed that upon completion, the bridge will ease traffic flow, allay fears, improve road safety and create greater road user confidence among the commuters.  Several administrations had used the second Niger Bridge as a bait on the Igbo, especially during political campaigns, so when President Buhari promised that he will complete the second Niger Bridge, not many believed, especially when he could not conceal his lopsided political appointments and other resource allocations against the southeast."

Dr Ogbonnia added that on assumption of office as the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,  Professor George Obiozor in company of several government officials visited the site wherein he remarked that the people of the southeast would continue to be grateful to the present federal government for hearkening to the needs of the Ndigbo. he said while Ohanaeze Ndigbo immensely appreciates Mr President on the Second Niger Bridge, it is hoped that President Buhari will use the remaining few months in office to pursue some other transcendental objectives.

Still under-construction, the Second Niger Bridge  will be temporarily opened between December 15 and January 15 2023 to ease the movement of goods and people during the festive season. Traditionally, Nigeria's Igbos travel back to the southeast en mass during the Christmas period.