Two major bridges in the South are crumbling and need immediate rehabilitation.
The Third Mainland Bridge is in dire need of rehabilitation as repairs executed by the Ministry of Works did not meet the required standard, a senator has said.
Gbenga Ashafa (ACN-Lagos ) made this revelation on Thursday at a Senate sitting. If the bridge is not immediately worked on, it will collapse, Mr. Ashafa warned.
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.
“Repair works embarked upon during the last quarter of 2012 by the Ministry of Works, were just mere window dressing on the expansion joints.
“A recent report by some experts in concrete structural engineering found out that the last repairs that were done at the end of October did not meet the entire requirement. The experts went back after those remedial actions were taken and came back with the report that something has to be done urgently.
“So when this alarm was sounded, we thought we have to make it a subject of urgent national importance,” he said.
At the sitting, Mr. Ashafa raised a motion on the urgent need to investigate and avert the imminent collapse of the bridge.
Shola Adeyeye (ACN –Osun) said the motion requires 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.
“We don’t need public hearing. What we need to do is to direct our engineers in the Ministry of Works to assess the bridge immediately and report back to us,” he said.

Senate orders investigation
The Senate therefore mandated its Committee on Works to investigate and proffer solutions to avert the deterioration and imminent collapse of the bridge.
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.
Mr. Ashafa said the Third Mainland Bridge is a national monument on which not less than 70,000 vehicles ply daily. He stressed the need for “comprehensive” repairs to be carried out on its foundation.
On his part, 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.
Babafemi Ojudu (ACN–Ekiti) advised that that the assessment 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 said.
On August 10, 2012, Third Mainland Bridge, the longest in Africa, was partially closed, to enable repairs that would forestall collapse. The partial closure caused untold hardship to residents of Lagos, who had to spend several hours in traffic.
Several resources and manpower, including 700 officials from the Lagos State Government and some more from the Federal Government, were deployed for the period of the repairs to direct the traffic situation at the time.
On October 30, the bridge was re-opened amidst cheers for the government because true to its schedule for the repairs on the bridge, works were completed within three months.
Barely four months later, the Senate finds that the bridge still has defects despite claims by the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, that the bridge did not have any structural defect and would not collapse.

Another bridge is falling down
In a related development, the Senate on Thursday 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 is 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, 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, Margery Okadigbo (PDP-Anambra) expressed concern over the issue of the second Niger Bridge project saying it has 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, Chris Ngige (ACN-Anambra) said the issue has 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, David Mark, said it is paramount that prompt action 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,” Mr. Mark advised.

http://www.watchinglagos.com/2013/02/act-now-to-save-third-mainland-bridge.html

They won't repair until it takes life!!...





W0w First to C0mment..

.....................

but they made us to realise that close to #1.5billion was used for its rehabilitation last year. Think this is a substantial amount that can make a compactible structure of the bridge for a 15 more years. So another billions of naira will be needed for its renovation again.

.oya over to FG.make una do sometin

let him who has ears hear what the senators are saying.

2nd 2 c'ment!

Most our leaders fly up there so they may feel unconcern.

stacomaster: They won't repair until it takes life!!...





W0w First to C0mment..

thats nigeria for you........

Are they still talking of repair? That bridge is just waiting to collapse...

What they should be talking about is the start of the 4th and the 5th bridge and how it will be built consecutively...

Sometimes... the country wanna make someone weep

grandfada: 2nd 2 c'ment!

try nxt time

So dem neva still repair that bridge bah? till the day it collapses, ehe, then they will act fast! smh...

Action Congress shits littered every where with shit.Disgusting.Its mere window dressing cos Fashola was not involved.Let Fashola build an alternative bridge and toll it as usual.

billions keep going into blackholes
GEJ administration is definitely a case-study!

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9icest: billions keep going into blackholes
GEJ administration is definitely a case-study!

Get inspired, visit
www.inspired.com.ng
for your daily inspirational dose!

Indeed!

Whatever happened to inspection while work was ongoing? What kind of govt is this? Its not even up to a year that the repair was done and they're already talking about another repair.

God bless the likes of Jakande. His low cost housings still stand well after decades.

Our leaders believe that,is only when a leg touches a faeces that it will look for a grass to clean it.they won't repair it until it collapse

I thought the Lagos state government was self sufficient enough to carry out this type of work? Where are all those funds going to?

Don't they give out contracts to companies who carry out regular maintenance and report to the Lagos state government?

Until people die then you'll see Fashola come out to give silly speeches. SMH.

While the work was on, I said repeatedly that NOTHING was being done on that Bridge, that it was a smokescreen for a billion naira contract, and peeps said I was just "hating" the administration.

I do not need any independent report to tell me what I already observed with my eyes. NOTHING was done on that Bridge and I know that for a fact. The painful thing is the fact that a govt can be willing to punish a population of some 15 million for FOUR whole months in order to window dress a critical road such as the 3rd mainland especially after the same was done just about four years ago or so. If the work was done properly then, it should take a decade or two before such comprehensive work is required again. But watch it. . . very soon we will have another few months of closure for "maintenance" again. . .

ledafaze: Are they still talking of repair? That bridge is just waiting to collapse...

What they should be talking about is the start of the 4th and the 5th bridge and how it will be built consecutively...

Sometimes... the country wanna make someone weep

Sorry to say this but u are daft. If they cant maintain one,how will they maintain those they will build

I taught dey've repaired it in d last year. Smh.

I dont tink there is any iota of pity on lives in naija

Them don chop money again................When will this country be delivered from this thieving government and their accomplice. Them go carry one brick layer to come cement the bridge talk say dem carry out maintenance. This country is doomed.

[quote author=ijebabe]I thought the Lagos state government was self sufficient enough to carry out this type of work? Where are all those funds going to?

Don't they give out contracts to companies who carry out regular maintenance and report to the Lagos state government?

Until people die then you'll see Fashola come out to give silly speeches. SMH. I think u should be educated enough to know that d bridge belongs to d FG and not LASG. Don't u know d meaning of FERMA? It wl do u good to venture out of ur village to an urban centre for u to have an idea of what blongs to d fed gvt and state gvmnts.

ijebabe: I thought the Lagos state government was self sufficient enough to carry out this type of work? Where are all those funds going to?

Don't they give out contracts to companies who carry out regular maintenance and report to the Lagos state government?

Until people die then you'll see Fashola come out to give silly speeches. SMH.

madam you for ask who get the responsibility to maintain the bridge. na LASG abi FG?

Though not their fault, The federal government is too big and streached too far to do some things right. The third mainland bridge should be handed over to the lagos state government and special allocation be provided them for it's up keep and futher development. The state government is closer to the people and will be more effective in it's local jurisdiction.

berem: madam you for ask who get the responsibility to maintain the bridge. na LASG abi FG?

Just same way Ndigbo has been begging the FG for a new Niger bridge right? Let the FG hand over it's assets to states so they can develop it and toll it if they wish. I can imagine what it feels when a bridge shakes, it can be scary.

its a federal affair not LASG

ijebabe: I thought the Lagos state government was self sufficient enough to carry out this type of work? Where are all those funds going to?

Don't they give out contracts to companies who carry out regular maintenance and report to the Lagos state government?

Until people die then you'll see Fashola come out to give silly speeches. SMH.

OMG where is this country going? it is well

This is a danger waiting to happen
If u have observed the traffic on this bridge every evening of lately
Thousands of cars ply this bridge.
An appeal to government to look into this situation and saves our lives.