Second Naija bridge, one of the 7th wonders of Buhari’s administration to the entire South Eastern part of Nigeria 🇳🇬.
The Federal Government of Nigeria opened a single lane of the yet to be completed bridge to aid motorists evade traffic during the yuletide season.
To start with, it’s a beautiful thing that after more than 6 decades, The entire South Eastern part of Nigeria could boast of having an alternative route to their region after the famous Onitsha Bridge has been holding “ỤMỤ IGBO” super strong since pre and post civil war. To that, one may say, Buhari’s administration has tried at least to see to the partial actualization of this long awaited project.
This post is to carefully explain to “ỤMỤ IGBO” some issues regarding this very politicized Second Niger Bridge.
1. PROJECT FUNDING : it’s no news that the new bridge when completed would be tolled. Yes, toll gates have been beautifully installed there, meaning, “Ụmụ Igbo” must pay for the cost of building that bridge.
READ ALSO : The Evil Toll Gates At Onitsha Second Niger Bridge
President Goodluck Jonathan said the Federal Government had spent N10 billion on construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge out of the N130 billion total cost of the project. Buhari came in and did some abracadabra and they moved the fund to 300 Billion….
Most Nigerians actually forgot that the bridge was actually a project Jonathan started.
Minister, Babatunde Raji Fashola was quoted as saying that most of the money used in building that bridge was largely from repatriated funds from looted money. It means, that bridge is actually a business venture as i didn’t see the reason the Federal Government would bring in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement in a project the government would have done alone. Very insincere government.
2. TRAFFIC ALLEVIATION :
The major reason stated by the Federal Government for temporarily opening the bridge for the period of 30days is to ease traffic for “ỤMỤ IGBO” during the yuletide. Looking or reading about this from the slides on Twitter or social media, you’d so laud the project or the decision but in the reality, did they achieve anything by the temporal opening of the bridge? That leaves a big question to answer.
Opening of the bridge has succeeded in solving the Traffic issue by only 30%.
WHY 😕 The second Niger Bridge has only one entrance opened for people. Meaning, only people coming into East would pass through it. Unfortunately, the massive traffic from Onitsha through the main bridge still persists.
The proximity of the ENTRANCE to the New bridge to the old bridge is so close such that the persistent traffic 🚥 still holds as most vehicles coming in through Asaba must drive to almost 100meters to the foot of the old bridge before turning right to access the second Niger Bridge.
No much work done as massive traffic would still occur.
Unfortunately, heavy trucks are still not allowed to use the new bridge which makes the road from Asaba still heavily stuck with traffic. “kedụzi the uru ya” (what’s the advantage).
Assuming vehicles are allowed to enter to and fro the bridge, many people would have preferred to enter Asaba via the new bridge but are compelled to still use the same old bridge.
No much new work done…!!!
The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has announced that the bridge would be completed in 2024 as against 2023 earlier stated.
It means, Buhari’s regime would have to still hand over the uncompleted FAMOUS SECOND NIGER BRIDGE to the next government.
Since Jonathan started and handed over to Buhari and Buhari didn’t finish it and would be handing it over to the next government for a possible finish… Would it be wise to now say the next Government built the SECOND NIGER BRIDGE?
My People, it’s not yet UHULU for “ụmụ Igbo”.
