Senate Probes Imminent Collapse Of 3rd Mainland, Niger Bridges

The Senate yesterday mandated its Committee on Works to investigate and proffer solutions to avert the deterioration and imminent collapse of the 3rd Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

The committee was also mandated to work in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works to find out the current state of the bridge and to take urgent action to rectify all the structural damages.

The Senate’s resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Gbenga Ashafa (ACN- Lagos) on the urgent need to investigate the imminent collapse of the 3rd Mainland Bridge.

Ashafa said that the 3rd Mainland Bridge is a national monument on which not less than 70,000 vehicles ply daily, and stressed the need for ‘comprehensive’ repairs to be carried out on its foundation.

He told newsmen at a briefing later, that an independent assessment showed that repair works carried out in October 2012 by the Ministry of Works did not meet the required standard.

In his contribution during the debate, Sen. Shola Adeyeye (ACN –Osun) said the motion required urgent action.

He said that holding public hearing on the issue would delay the process of rehabilitation.

“When you build a bridge and don’t maintain it, no amount of prayer can save you.

On his part, Sen. Barnabas Gemade (PDP-Benue) urged the Senate Committee on Works to impress it upon the ministry to accelerate work on the bridge.

He advised against holding public hearing, and said that the experts would not be willing to provide the solution to the problem at such a forum.

Senator Babafemi Ojudu (ACN–Ekiti) cautioned that the assessment work should be handled only by experts from within and outside the public service.

“We should find a way to get experts from within and outside the Ministry of Works to give us unbiased assessment.

“We should stand up and do something urgently and should not leave this critical matter to public officials,” he advised.

In a related development, the Senate yesterday urged the Federal Ministry of Works to undertake immediate reinforcement, repairs and rehabilitation of the River Niger Bridge at Onitsha.

The Upper legislative chamber said the resolution was to avoid the tragic consequences of the possible collapse of the bridge, which links the South-East, South-South and some Northern States of the federation.

It also enjoined the Federal Ministry of Works to take immediate action to commence work on the second Niger Bridge project before the end of the first quarter of 2013.

Moving the motion, Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP- Imo) said that the poor state of the bridge led to the conception of a second Niger Bridge project as a permanent structure to contain the heavy traffic across the bridge.

“The River Niger Bridge is in a horrifying state of decay with imminent threat of collapse sooner than later.

“The second Niger Bridge has remained on the drawing board for too long with no manifest practical step towards its actualisation as the River Niger Bridge may collapse without notice.

“This could result to a major national catastrophe and tragedy of unimaginable proportions,” he warned

In her contribution, Sen. Margery Okadigbo (PDP-Anambra) expressed concern that the issue of the second Niger Bridge project had been turned into a campaign promise.

“Till date nothing concrete has been done about the second Niger Bridge. It seems the issue has become a political campaign thing.

“We are hoping that the bridge would materialise by the first quarter of this year as promised by the Minister of Works,” she said.

Also speaking, Sen. Chris Ngige (ACN-Anambra) said the issue had made the people of Anambra to view their elected officials as fraudulent.

He decried the long delay in the commencement of the second Niger Bridge, and said that the government should give priority attention to its actualisation.

“This matter has taken too long that those of us from Anambra are now seen as fraudsters, who use the issue of the bridge for vote procurement,’’ he said.

The Senate President, Sen. David Mark, said it was paramount that prompt action should be taken to rehabilitate the River Niger Bridge.

He stressed the need for the Federal Government to take issues of infrastructural development seriously to enhance the nation’s economic progress.

“The most important thing is that the bridge, which is currently in use should be rehabilitated.

“The second Niger Bridge is important, but the one we have at the moment should be made operational. We should be very serious about infrastructural development,” Mark advised.

Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari with President General, Trade Union Congress (TUC),Comrade Peter Esele, during the 4th Triennial Delegates Conference at the Hotel Presidentia, Port Harcourt, recently