ABUBAKAR YUNUSA,KOGI
Now that the Federal Government has completed the Second Niger Bridge expected to improve commercial activities in the east , Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a foremost socio-cultural group in the southeastern Nigeria, says it has forgiven President Muhammadu Buhari for his failure to fulfill his 2015 electoral promises to the Igbos, calling on his administration to rename the all important Bridge after late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a former Biafra warlord.
Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, stated this while applauding President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for completing the Second Niger Bridge, He said the completion of the bridge was a fulfilment of Buhari’s promise not only to Nigerians but Igbos in particular
Recall that the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had announced the completion of the Second Niger Bridge earlier to the delight of many Nigerians
But ,Fashola had equally disclosed that some link roads to the bridge were still under construction.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Secretary General Worldwide,in his remark to the development praised the federal government’s giant strides in the actualisation of the second Niger Bridge up to 95% completion, according to the Ministry of Works.
He said : “We received the cheering news from the Minister of Works, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, as the fulfillment of the government’s promises to 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 enjoy the benefits of the 2nd Niger Bridge during the festive period of Christmas and New Year.
Continuing,Isiguzoro said, “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 project started on September 1st, 2018 will fully be ready for commissioning by December 2022.”
He expressed Ndigbo’s appreciation for the feat and urged President Buhari to complete other projects in the South-East before May 2023.
