HE ground-breaking ceremony of the second bridge across river Niger between Asaba (Delta State) and Onitsha (Anambra State) was performed by former President Goodluck Jonathan on March 10, 2014, with fanfare, which attracted the presence of prominent citizens of eastern Nigeria and Delta.

However, the project is abandoned by the present administration, although there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel following the visit of the senate committee on works to Delta and Anambra states and to the site of the bridge recently.

Awarded to Julius Berger at a cost of N117.8 billion including VAT sourced from the coffers of subsidy reinvestment programme (SURE-P), construction commenced immediately as there was a beehive of activities at the construction site at Oko and it was suddenly abandoned.

The total width of the dual carriage bridge is 35.3m consisting of 16.05m wide 3- lane carriage way in each direction and 3,03m central reverse.

The bridge, which is 1590 metres in length is being located I.7km down stream of the existing one.

According to its prototype, the dualised road leading to the bridge veers off from the Benin-Asaba expressway at a point before the Asaba International Airport, crossing through Ibusa road and straight to Amakon-Oko community on the Niger. At the Anambra end, the link road continues to Atani joining the Onitsha-Owerri express way and beyond to Onitsha-Enugu express road.

The new bridge and the connecting roads are expected to enhance the capacity of the South-East-South-West transport corridor and provide significant economy.

Similarly, the dualisation of Sapele-Agbor -Ewu road, which was flagged off on March 25, 2015 by the then Minister of Works Arch Mike Onolememen, has been abandoned by the federal government.

There were two sections; the first one covers Sapele-Agbor in Delta while the other covers Agbor-Ewu in Edo at a total cost N112.8 billion.

The then minister performed the flag off for the section one in Sapele, Delta State and later performed that of section two at Igueben in Edo.

Following the deplorable state of the road, the Delta state government decided to rehabilitate Agbor-Abraka-Eku axes of section one of the road.

Also abandoned by the federal government is the Ogwashi uku earth dam which was meant to provide water and generate for the area.

The project which started since 2007 was to be commissioned by the former Vice President Namadi Sambo towards the tail end of former President Jonathan administration but was stopped by the community which felt that the project was not complete.

The effect of the abandonment according to the community and the people ofAniocha south council area is the massive rise of the water level in the river such that it is currently on the verge of cutting off the Ogwashi uku-Kwale-Ughelli road.

http://tribuneonlineng.com/2nd-niger-bridge-sapele-agbor-ewu-ogwashi-uku-dam-abandoned/

For where?

Dissolve this huge joke called Nigeria and you will you see development in the Niger area called Nigeria.

With separate country, these projects will be completed. The new country will seek foreign loans to do these projects...staying together will only increase suffering...