The Federal Government has officially restored movement across the First Niger Bridge linking Asaba in Delta State to Onitsha in Anambra State, following a 38-day closure dedicated to urgent rehabilitation work.
Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, formally reopened the bridge to traffic on Thursday, alongside federal and state government representatives and traditional rulers from Anambra and Delta states.
Speaking at the reopening ceremony, Umahi praised President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure interventions in the South-East and South-South, urging residents of the regions to reciprocate by supporting his re-election bid in 2027.
The First Niger Bridge, constructed in 1965, was initially closed to traffic on September 7 following the discovery of vandalised structural components, including steelwork associated with its expansion joints.
The closure was originally scheduled to end on September 21, but the reopening was delayed by persistent rainfall and other unforeseen circumstances that affected the rehabilitation works.
Umahi said the Federal Government had completed the necessary repairs to restore traffic flow and improve safety for motorists using the bridge.
He explained that although the bridge had been reopened, some aspects of the rehabilitation project remained outstanding.
The minister commended the governments of Anambra and Delta states for their cooperation and praised the contractor, SKCC, for its performance.
“We have every reason to thank the governors of Anambra and Delta states.
“We must commend the contractors, SKCC, very, very highly; they have worked very well. We are not 100 per cent done,” he said.
Umahi described the rehabilitation and reopening of the bridge as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to infrastructure development across the country, particularly in the South-East and South-South.
“The evidence of what we are doing today is a total testimony that President Bola Tinubu is indeed detribalised Nigeria.
“What other regions are getting, the people of South-South and South-East are getting it. And so why should we not appreciate the President?” he asked.
The minister argued that Tinubu deserved political support from the region because of his administration’s infrastructure projects.
He questioned whether other political leaders possessed the capacity and commitment to deliver similar projects.
“If the President, God forbid, were not the President in 2027, do you think that any of these people, marauding, will have the capacity, the audacity, the courage, the wisdom, the pedigree to do this?” Umahi asked.
He also referenced the longstanding challenges associated with the Enugu-Onitsha Road, questioning why previous administrations had failed to address the situation.
“For how many years, we had Enugu-Onitsha Road, nobody could pass it. Why was there no governor that intervened?” he said.
Umahi reiterated his support for Tinubu’s administration, declaring that he had no regrets backing the President.
“We have no regret supporting President Bola Tinubu. Let me declare in opening this bridge that I have no regret supporting Mr President.
“I am very, very proud for him to be my boss. He is the most qualified and eminently qualified to lead this country,” he stated.
The minister subsequently declared the bridge reopened for public use, describing the occasion as an opportunity to appreciate the Federal Government’s intervention.
“And so, by the power of Mr President and in our deep appreciation of what he has done for the people of South-South and South-East in this bridge, it is my humble pleasure, and with gratitude to God Almighty, to open this bridge for the benefit of our people, in Jesus name,” Umahi declared.
The reopening restores traffic movement across the bridge, a major road connection between Anambra and Delta states, following weeks of disruption caused by the emergency rehabilitation works.
What You Should Know
The First Niger Bridge has been officially opened back up to the public after undergoing crucial emergency structural repairs that lasted for over a month. The bridge, which links Anambra and Delta states, had to be shut down on September 7 due to vandalized components and damaged expansion joints.
- Positive Impact: Commuters, transport operators, and traders can now resume their normal travel routines without experiencing the heavy traffic delays and detours caused by the temporary closure.
- Potential Concerns: While the bridge is now open for public use, the Minister of Works noted that some final aspects of the rehabilitation project are still ongoing, requiring motorists to exercise caution when plying the route.
