There was never a second Niger bridge.

I thought there was no second niger bridge, now the cost is inflated. All these source abi sauce self shioor

Efcc must investigate Jonathan bribe allegations
ABUJA, - The Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP) on Monday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) to investigate allegations that President Goodluck Jonathan was bribed by a construction company.




In a press statement by SERAP, the Executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said it “ We have petitioned Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) urging him to urgently begin a thorough, transparent and effective investigation into allegations that the Abuja-based Italian construction company, Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited (GCG) gave to President Goodluck Jonathan as ‘gift’ a 2,500-seat church building in Otuoke, his village in Bayelsa State.”

The petition sent to the EFCC read in part: “We are seriously concerned that given the huge sum of money involved and the timing of the church building ‘gift’, the acts may amount to a bribe to the government by a construction company that has sought and obtained huge contracts from the federal government.”

SERAP say that the 'gift' violates Section 6 of the Code of Conduct for Public officers embodied in the First Schedule of the 1999 Constitution and the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act which states that  “A public officer shall not ask for or accept any property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties. The allegations also constitute a breach of national anti-corruption legislation and the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a party.”

Jonathan had in March dedicated the 2,500-seat church building in his home town, Otuoke in Bayelsa, were he confirmed that it was donated by Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited (GCG).

Members of the National Assembly have called on Mr Jonathan to review the N 58.6 billion contract awarded Gitto for the Second Niger bridge.

SERAP asks EFCC to investigate Gitto’s church building gift to Jonathan
Channels Television. 
Updated April 2, 2012
The Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP) on Monday asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) to investigate the allegations that an Abuja-based Italian construction company gave a church building to the Nigeria Pressident, Goodluck Jonathan as a gift.



President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife Patience and the Bayelsa state governor, Seriki Dickson during the dedication of the 2,500-seat church building in his home town, Otuoke; the building was donated to him by Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited (GCG).

In a press statement signed by SERAP’s Executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation said it “petitioned Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) urging him to “urgently begin a thorough, transparent and effective investigation into allegations that the Abuja-based Italian construction company, Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited (GCG) gave to President Goodluck Jonathan as ‘gift’ a 2,500-seat church building in Otuoke, his village in Bayelsa State.”

In a petition SERAP sent to the EFCC Chairman, Mr Mumuni said “We are seriously concerned that given the huge sum of money involved and the timing of the church building ‘gift’, the acts may amount to a bribe to the government by a construction company that has sought and obtained huge contracts from the federal government.”

“Procurement and investment agreements corrupted by this kind of ‘gift’ invariably lead to increased costs not only in higher prices but also in needlessly expanded and ultimately inefficient projects,” he added.

He said “Both the acts of giving and accepting the disguised bribe undermine the institutions and values of democracy, ethical values and justice, and jeopardises sustainable development and the rule of law. The acts also hurt the government and ordinary Nigerians who may suffer as a result of bad execution of projects by GCG.”

According to SERAP, “the allegations violate Section 6 of the Code of Conduct for Public officers embodied in the First Schedule of the 1999 Constitution and the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act (CAP C15) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which provides that, “A public officer shall not ask for or accept any property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties. The allegations also constitute a breach of national anti-corruption legislation and the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a party.”

The organization also asked the EFCC to “exert its mandate, power, and resources to ensure that the allegations are fully and effectively investigated the findings of the investigation published and the company and other suspected perpetrators held liable.”

“Foreign bribery is a crime even if the briber would have been awarded a contract or business advantage. It is therefore very important that the Commission sends a strong message that it is willing and able to step up its efforts to detect, investigate and prosecute cases of bribery in international business deals,” the organization added.

Read SERAP’s petition to EFCC here.

Last months, local media reported that Mr Jonathan confirmed during the dedication of the 2,500-seat church building in his home town, Otuoke in Bayelsa state that the building was donated to him by Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited (GCG).

According to him, the Managing Director of Gitto made him a promise to build and donate the church to Otuoke community after he had complained of the aging structure of his church, which apparently no longer befits the status of the president’s village.

Gitto construction is a company stained with controversies in the areas it operates, it is facing allegations of destroying properties in Eket (Akwa Ibom) without compensating the property owners, as well as abandoning the Bodo-Bonny road in Bayelsa.

Also, only recently a group of lawmakers in the National Assembly have called on Mr Jonathan to review the N 58.6 billion contract awarded Gitto for the Second Niger bridge.

All these developments are fueling speculations that the church was built in order to give Gitto construction a smooth landing as the President reviews their contracts.

Why FG Must Complete 2nd Niger Bridge, Ndigbo, Others Tell Buhari - Vanguard by phemmyutd(m): 1:47pm
AMidst growing fears that the Federal Government has dumped the construction of the Second Niger Bridge project, prominent Igbo leaders and built environment experts have appealed to President Muhammed Buhari, PMB to ensure that the all-important bridge that would complement the aging River Niger Bridge, is completed on schedule as stipulated in the contract agreement.
2nd-Niger-Bridge

2nd-Niger-Bridge

The bridge which was flagged off on March 10, 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to be completed in 48 months (March 2018).

Measuring about 1,590 metres long the bridge whose construction cost was put at N117,860,700,741.82, VAT inclusive, forms part of the 11.90 kilometer length project.

Although officials of both the Federal Ministry of Works and Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, denied reports that work on the project has been discontinued, Vanguard Homes & Property which went to the Asaba and Onitsha ends of the project site last week, observed that only skeletal works are ongoing as most of the workers have allegedly been retrenched by the contractors.

It was not certain whether the retrenchment was necessitated by the rains which usually affect construction works during rainy seasons or because the Federal Government has not yet released any fund for continuation of the project.

Apparently reading danger signals from the ongoing scenario, Igbo leaders and built environment experts who spoke to Vanguard Homes & Property insisted that since government is a continuity, the incumbent Buhari administration should go ahead to complete the project because of its strategic importance to the economic development of the entire country.

In the beginning

Former President Jonathan had during his presidential campaign rally in Onitsha, Anambra state in January, this year, given the assurance that the project would be completed on schedule and delivered. Jonathan said the project which is being executed through the Public Private Partnership, PPP arrangement, would also be managed by the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF.
2nd-Niger-Bridge

2nd-Niger-Bridge

According to him, “So far, N10 billion has been spent and, out of it, N1.5 billion was used for paying for damages and others. In fact, the link road that is about three kilometres from the main road to the bridge which is almost 80 percent of the road has been fixed,” he said.

He noted that about 260 Nigerians and 50 expatriates were working there.”But when the work will be in full swing, we expect that it will give work to about 2,000 young men and women and about 60 expatriates.

Commercialactivities

So, it is one of the major projects that will engage a number of people. We asked Julius Berger and the federal Ministry of Works about their commitments to the project and they said the project will be completed within the time frame. And I am optimistic they will surely do it,” the former president was quoted as saying.

He noted that when completed, the bridge would improve commercial activities in the South-East and South West, adding that government had made a proper arrangement for the financing of the major unity infrastructure, hence government would provide about 25 percent funding for the project.

Views of built environment experts

The Registrar of the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, QSRBN, Mr. Godson Moneke described the award of the contract for the construction of a second bridge across the River Niger at Onitsha as a deceit by Igbo elites and the former President to get the votes of the Igbos.

He premised this assertion on the fact that the immediate past government did not have the will to build the bridge. Moneke wondered why the Public Private partnership, PPP model was adopted for the construction of such an important bridge that would impact upon the lives of millions of Nigerians.

According to him, the PPP model is an attempt to short change would-be users of the bridge. Moneke who eulogised the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration, enjoined the President to silence his critics who claim that he is anti-Ndigbo, by jettisoning the PPP model and constructing the bridge which is of immense economic importance to the country.

Ohaneneze, NBA react

The Chairman of Anambra State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Elder Chris Eluemuno warned against any move to discontinue the construction of the bridge. According to him, there is nothing whatsoever to warrant the abandonment of the project.

“Why should he (Buhari) abandon the project? Is it because it is located in Igbo land or what? What we should even be talking about is to review some areas that is hindering the smooth execution of the project, so as to quicken the pace of work on it,” he said.

The Ohaneze chieftain noted that although all the actions and utterances of President Buhari point to the fact that he did not like Ndigbo, he (the President) should know that when completed, Ndigbo would not be the only beneficiaries of the second Niger bridge project.

The Chairman of Anaocha branch of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Chris Adimora spoke in the same vein. “The Bridge is the connection link between the South East and the rest of the country. If the existing bridge should collapse today as a result of old age and over- use, it will mean total calamity and complete cut off from the old Eastern Nigeria and the rest of the country.

Our appeal is that the Federal Government should fund the bridge 100 percent like it funded Lokoja and other bridges in the country,” Adimora canvassed. He enjoined the Federal Government to take a look at the contract documents and remove any concessioner attached to the project.

“The Federal Government should also review the contract documents and remove the PPP arrangement. PPP is even a Greek gift to Ndigbo. The Federal Government should not contemplate termination of the contract. If Federal government completes the project, Ndigbo will now know that Buhari is not partial,” the NBA boss said.

In his own reaction, the Chairman of Idemili branch of NBA, Mr Ben Okoko described the Second Niger bridge as a project that is long overdue. He noted that discontinuing with the project, will be a big blow to the South-East and South-South geo-political zones..

According to Okoko, “Buhari, as at now, cannot yet be said to be anti-Igbo, having agreed to complete Zik’s Mausoleum project. We expect him to do the jobs as he promised because the names, Okechukwu and Ogbuagu which Ndigbo gave to him is not going to be in vain. Let the project continue at whatever agreement, even if it is PPP.

Free flowof traffic

If any traffic congestion occurs in the existing Niger bridge, motorists will be stranded”. “Government should also complete all the adjoining roads connecting the second Niger bridge like the road linking Atani in Ogbaru Local Government Area and Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area to ensure a free flow of traffic.

All the roads that will take their routes from the second Niger bridge should be rehabilitated, “ he suggested. Okoko called on the Federal Government to also place the rehabilitation of Enugu/Onitsha, Enugu/Umuahia/Aba/ Port Harcourt dual carriage ways and the Okigwe/Arondizuaogu/Akokwa/Uga/Nnewi highway, among others on top priority, to give Ndigbo a real sense of belonging.

More reactions

In the same vein, the Ogirishi of Igboland, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, said it would be a political and economic miscalculations for the Federal government to stop the project, adding that the bridge is the only connecting link between the South East and other parts of the country.

“Politics aside, that bridge will help to boost economic base of this nation because without it, there will be no economic link between the South East, South South, South West and the rest of the North,” he said.

The Campaign for Democracy, CD, South East Zone, in its own view, warned that human rights groups would not tolerate a situation where the second Niger bridge project would be abandoned just because of change of government.
2nd-Niger-Bridge

2nd-Niger-Bridge

The Chairman of the CD in the zone, Uzor A. Uzor said they will give Buhari up till the end of November, and if no tangible work is executed at the site, all the human rights groups would mobilise themselves and embark on constant protests against the Federal government.

Traders in Anambra state, under the aegis of Anambra Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, AMATAS, in their own voice, urged Buhari to change the contract arrangement from PPP to government financed project.

AMATAS President, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo who spoke on their behalf, said government financed construction of bridges across the country without mounting toll gates and wondered why the second Niger bridge project should be handled under PPP arrangement which also entails mounting a toll gate to start collecting money from motorists as soon as the bridge becomes operational. He asked rhetorically: “is it because the project is located in Igbo land or what?

We have not abandoned the 2nd Niger Bridge

A source in the Federal Ministry of Works told Vanguard Homes & Property in Abuja that work is seriously going on at the site of the bridge. “Anybody saying that work had stopped on the 2nd Niger Bridge is a mischief maker. You can go to the place yourself and confirm, anything you see there you publish.

The Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano visited the site a few weeks ago with our officials and then somebody is saying that work has been abandoned. It is absolutely not correct,” the source said.

Amplifying the position of the Ministry, Julius Berger said that it was a mere speculations that work had stopped on the project. The company said it was optimistic that the project would be completed on schedule at the pace of work going on presently.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/why-fg-must-complete-2nd-niger-bridge-ndigbo-others-tell-buhari/#sthash.ozOOmC8F.dpuf
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The latest visit to the site of the Second Niger Bridge Project shows it has been abandoned and only skeletal services are on going the Contractor has removed Heavy Duty machines has President Buhari cancelled the Contract

Buhari is simply a disaster

Second Niger Bridge in stormy waters

JANUARY 21, 2015 : OUR READER

Second Niger Bridge
When the first bridge was built, it was during the presidency of Nnamdi Azikiwe; the second Niger bridge will be built under the presidency of Azikiwe Jonathan.I will go on exile on the completion of my term in office if I didn’t build the bridge by 2015.”

President Goodluck Jonathan made that promise in his remarks at a Town Hall meeting held on August 31, 2011 in the commercial city of Onitsha as part of the activities marking his one-day visit to Anambra State. The issue of the Second Niger Bridge naturally came up during the meeting since Jonathan had during his campaigns for the 2011 presidential ballot promised to construct the bridge if elected President.

To convince his audience that serious efforts were being made to build the bridge, he invited the Works Minister, Mike Onolomemen and the Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to brief the people on what was being done about the construction of the bridge. Typically, Onolomemen reeled out the technical details about the design of the bridge and the companies bidding to construct it, while Okonjo-Iweala unfolded details about the financial arrangements being made to construct the bridge.

A few days ago, the President was seen inspecting the “Second Niger Bridge map” on his campaign trip to Anambra State! This is an indication that no starting block had been signposted in a swathe of empty space where the bridge was supposedly “erected”! After four years of deceptive and hollow platitudes the President who chiefly identified himself with the Ndigbo couldn’t fulfil a simple electoral promise.

The Second Niger Bridge which ought to be a source of political mileage has become one of President Jonathan’s Achilles’ heels and adversity for his presidential election. Therefore, the choice before Nigerians will be an epic one. A wrong choice will doom the country in the next four years and consign it to a dunghill and drain it of the possibility or potentiality of meeting the 2020/2030 UNESCO and MDGs targets.

Though Jonathan won the 2011 presidential election on the basis of ethnic referendum, the veil has now fallen off from that ideological blindness that subordinated reasoning to bland tribal subjugation. But he keeps reminding Ndigbo to inherit the enemies of their dead political heroes, like Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu or Chief Jim Nwobodo. The President is telling them not to allow ancient grudges and ancestral acrimonies to determine their choice of a presidential candidate next month.

This is meant to becloud their sense of judgment and reopen the wounds even though such grudges were bereft of ethical scrutiny. However, it must be said that Muhammadu Buhari was not blindly punitive. When 250 politicians from all over the country were declared by investigators not having any case to answer, he ordered all of them released. Why then will the poor Easterners vote for Jonathan against their own economic and political interests in the name of identity politics?

Why will they not assess the President on the fulfilment of his electoral promises made to them in 2011 rather than mere sentimentality?

Already, it’s dawned on the Easterners who are right thinking that they have been short-changed and were wrong-footed into joining the wrong battle formation against their striving for commerce, industry and economic prosperity. But they are too few to wage a war against the forces of ascendant ethno-religious political formation that encourages slavery and economic servitude.


http://www.punchng.com/opinion/letters/second-niger-bridge-in-stormy-waters/

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Federal Government To Probe Second Niger Bridge by kITATITA: 5:15pm
FG probes second Niger Bridge contract

The Federal Government is scrutinizing the contract cost and conditions surrounding the second Niger Bridge.

The Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Aminu Diko, disclosed this to State House correspondents after making presentations to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to him, the Ministry of Works has been asked to review the contract cost of the project.

He also said the Commission has also identifies some errors in the project.

He said: “The second Niger Bridge is one of the projects that we discussed with the President. We did say yes it is in the commission for regulatory oversight. We have been discussing the transaction with the ministry of works. But before it can be finalized, the commission has to give a certificate of compliance, but we haven’t given that because we have seen a lot of issues that we are uncomfortable with.

“We are talking with the ministry of works for them to correct it. The communities around that area are clamouring that their lands have been taken and that they have not been compensated adequately.

“As a matter of fact we got a letter from Onitsha traditional council complaining that they have not been adequately represented in this transaction.

These kind of issues we are not saying that something has not been done properly but we need to be convinced that these few problems are sorted out properly.

“We will also talk about the actual cost of the bridge, eventually we have asked the ministry of works to review it and justify how much the project should cost.”


http://www.today.ng/news/082610150-fg-investigates-2nd-niger-bridge-contract/
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I tot u ppl said dia was no bridge in the offing, hw can something dat does not exist be cancelled?

The ongoing construction of The Second Niger Bridge may be suspended until the integrity of the bridge is sorted out, the federal government said on Wednesday.

According to the Director-General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Aminu Diko, the reasons range from the actual cost of the bridge, non-issuance of the Certificate of Compliance, non-compensation of the host community and non-adherence to due process in the award of contract were also responsible for the stoppage.

Mr Diko told journalists after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Rock that the bridge was one of the issues discussed in the meeting.

Noting the importance of the road that linked the south east and south west, Diko however asked the people to be patient with the government.

“We did say yes it is in the commission for regulatory oversight,” he said. “We have been discussing the transaction with the Ministry of Works. But before it can be finalized, the commissioner has to give a certificate of compliance, but we haven’t even done that because we have seen a lot of issues that we are uncomfortable with. We are talking with the Ministry of Works for them to correct it.
Daily Times Ngr.
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Source: www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/why-construction-of-second-niger-bridge-may-be-put-on-hold-for-now/

G reviews Second Niger Bridge contract.

Construction work on the Second Niger Bridge may be further delayed as the Federal Government has said it is currently reviewing the contract sum for the project to justify the cost.

The Goodluck Jonathan administration said in January this year that the government had spent N10bn on the project out of the N130bn total cost of the contract.

But the Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Mr. Aminu Diko, in an interview with State House correspondents on Wednesday, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the ICRC was currently withholding the certificate of compliance for the project.

He said the certificate was being withheld because of many issues regarding the project, adding that the commission was engaging the Ministry of Works on how to resolve the issues.

Specifically, he said the ICRC had asked the ministry to review the cost of the project with a view to justifying it.

He also identified the clamour for compensation by owners of the land where the project is being sited as one of the pending issues.

He said, “The issue of the Second Niger Bridge is one of the projects that we discussed with the President. We did say that the project is in the commission for regulatory oversight. We have been discussing the transaction with the Ministry of Works. But before it can be finalised, the commission has to give a certificate of compliance, but we have not done that because we have seen a lot of issues that we are uncomfortable with.

“We are talking with the Ministry of Works for them to correct it. The communities around that area are clamouring that their land has been taken and that they have not been compensated adequately. As a matter of fact, we got a letter from the Onitsha Traditional Council complaining that they have not been adequately represented in this transaction. With this kind of issue, we are not saying that something has not been done properly but we need to be convinced that these few problems are sorted out properly.

“We will also talk about the actual cost of the bridge eventually; we have asked the Ministry of Works to review it and justify how much the project should cost.”

Diko, however, said he had no idea of the present state of the project, whose groundbreaking was done with fanfare by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He explained that there would be a lot of studies, including an integrity test, to be done on the bridge.

Diko said, “I have no idea about the status of the project. What I need to tell Nigerians is that the PPPs take a long time to mature. This is different from a project in which you have money in your pocket or in your account and you just bring it out and tell somebody to go and do it. But when it is a PPP transaction, you first engage a number of people. You have bankers, lawyers, engineers. They all collaborate to form consultancy for that transaction. For the Second Niger Bridge, there will be a lot of studies that need to be done on the integrity of the bridge itself, which will take time; it is not something we can see being completed in the next six months.

“I will like us to be patient about it; we know that it is a critical road. We also know how Nigerians suffer during festive holidays and we hear people sleep on that old bridge. The time has come for us to bring succour to Nigerians.”

The ICRC boss added that when properly signed and executed, the commission would also take custody of the agreements to ensure that there is total compliance.

He added that he also told the President some of the limitations the commission has, the most significant of which was the commission’s enabling law. He described the law as “ineffective.”

Diko said, “It (the law) is very ineffective. So we have proposed an amendment to the law and he has agreed to support the passing of the bill when it comes back to him from the Attorney-General’s office.

“We also discussed some of the legacy concessions that we inherited such as the port terminals, the Lagos International Trade Fair, the Tafawa Balewa Square and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.


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