THE EVILS OF SUSPENDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND NIGER BRIDGE

By:
IFEDGIBO OKWUCHUKWU
okwusdan2000@yahoo.com

The construction of the second Niger bridge commenced on 11th, March 2014 under the administration of the former president of Nigeria, Dr.Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The bridge was believed to bring about more private investments in the Anambra state and through out the south eastern geopolitical zone.

Anambarians were all excited that indeed there prayers had been answered because to them, having only one entrance to their state from the southern part of Nigeria is not really something they could put up with anymore. As a matter of fact, I even went as far as going to the site myself to take a video coverage just to be sure that its a reality.

Sadly, our excitement was cut short when news came up towards the ending of 2014 that the construction of the second Niger bridge may be suspended because, according to the minister of environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, the government failed to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment Law, (EIA) before commencing the project .

This news brought a serious panic among Anambarians and the south easterners at large, especially those that dwell around the 'omambala river' (Anaocha, Aguleri, Umuleri among others). To me, I felt it was all a plan to bring up our hopes and leave us high and dry, because I just could not understand how such a good news will not be allowed to see the light of the day.

A little joy came earlier this year when the former president assured us that the second niger bridge will be completed in no distant time, and once again we celebrated, during the campaign period of last election, it was as if the second niger bridge would be completed before the mention of 'jack robbinson',

After the elections, on may 5th 2015, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker Committee, told the President-elect,
Muhammadu Buhari, that President
Goodluck Jonathan lied to the Igbo nation about awarding contract for the construction of the Second Niger bridge and major federal roads in the South East.
The leader of the delegation who spoke on behalf of the committe, Chief Ralph Obioha said and I quote
''The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker committee is fully aware of the difficult and daunting work that has befallen on your shoulders. And we are here to offer our comment that Ndigbo will stand shoulder to shoulder with you on this mission to reconstruct our nation. We are also aware that our cry of marginalization is not unique to our region, but ours stands out as an SOS case as a region criminally neglected and abandoned by the outgoing administration. During your campaign tours, you saw things
for yourself and needless reminding Your Excellency that South-east is an emergency case. You drove through the badly neglected and impassable Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway and the Enugu-Umuahia-Aba Expressway, needless to mention the Oba-Okigwe Highway. “Contrary to the election claims by the out going administration, no appreciable work is going on these roads, information
has shown that no financial arrangement has been firmed up for the Second Nigeria Bridge...'' (www.informationng.com/tag/ohaneze-ndigbo)

After the cry of the Ohaneze ndi Igbo to President Buhari, it was believed that work later continued on the second Niger bridge until the 26th of August 2015 when the director of the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Mr Aminu Dikko said that the commission has asked the ministry of works to review the second Niger Bridge project and justify how
much the project should cost and that the project has to be suspended until the cost is determined.

What I don't seem to understand is why they want to suspend the project from one reason to the other, first for the government's lack of compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment law (EIA) and secondly to determine the cost of carrying out the project as stated by the ICRC. The question now are; Why would a government fail to comply with a law that it established? What happened to the N117bn mapped out by the previous administration for the construction of the second Niger bridge?

The suspension of this project will do more harm than good to Nigeria as a whole, Onitsha is a commercial city in Nigeria that houses one of the biggest market in south Africa - The Main Market bounded by the River Niger to the west and Fegge through Osumaru road from the east. Such a city with a large market deserves to have a seaport for the ease of importation and exportation for the promotion of commerce and industry thereby, attracting foreign investors. That was the major hopes of the Anambarians, and such hopes should not be shattered

Another implication of the suspension of the project is that, the cost of carrying it out in future may be much more higher than the cost of continuing it now due to inflation and foreign exchange (continuous fall in the value of the naira). Mr. President should not also neglet the cries of the igbos, we need to be integrated fully and be giving a sense of belonging, this second Niger Bridge is our right, we have hoped for it a long time ago.
At this point I want to beg the federal government to hear our cry and call off the suspension as soon as possible so that work will commence on the bridge.
I drop my pen here.

I blame GEJ for this. Wat has he been doing since he was president? He really bleeped up

Dat foolish emu belle jonathan had really disrupt our economy uptill dis moment,


Keep up the GOOD WORK SAI BABA,I deY 444 UR BACK KANPE

there was one day eh, I was going to the market to get food stuff. I went to my customer's shop to get meat, we started pricing, I told him that his meat looked dull, hope the meat will be sweet. he said " ah customer I don Bleep you up b4? I said '' no o, but no Bleep me up o, put me for down.'' the other meat seller, a man then said '' he sabi Bleep o, he dey Bleep up and down'' everybody started laughing

When I tell the brothers from South east that Jonathan had no plans for us they failed to see. Aside the construction upgrading of Nkanu Ibiam airport , I can't count any thing tangible the past administration did for my region. All we keep hearing from the FG is "we are starting", "we've started" if you get to this places you find that all were pranks.
Let's keep our finger crossed and believe that things work for good with the administration.

When you don't respect your parents in the eyes of the outsiders , how can the outsiders respect them.


GEj was there before him and that man made no tangible impact, we keep hearing contracts has been awarded but there's no work going on, so I'm not surprise same thing is happening in this administration. But it will be more honorable if he listen to the cries of the south.

docmoses:
there was one day eh, I was going to the market to get food stuff. I went to my customer's shop to get meat, we started pricing, I told him that his meat looked dull, hope the meat will be sweet. he said " ah customer I don Bleep you up b4? I said '' no o, but no Bleep me up o, put me for down.'' the other meat seller, a man then said '' he sabi Bleep o, he dey Bleep up and down'' everybody started laughing

so whats ur point?

Buhari own don day tire me