The leading Igbo social and cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, commends President Muhammadu Buhari for honouring his pledge and completing the Second Niger Bridge before his tenure is over.
The Federal Government temporarily opened a piece of the Second Niger Bridge to facilitate holiday traffic in the axis.
According to Ohanaeze, the bridge was an essential component of the nation's infrastructure that would have benefitted the neighbouring states and the entire country.
The organization's National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, disclosed this information in a statement dated December 16, 2022.
Ogbonnia pointed out that the Second Niger Bridge was required since the First Niger Bridge, inaugurated in 1965, had sustained significant damage during the Nigerian Civil War.
He also addressed the Second Niger Bridge, a problem for Southeast Nigeria for more than 50 years.
The statement said, in part, "Apart from the traffic lock-up on the bridge, the biggest worry was that the bridge had signs of fractures such that the tension of weights on it may cause a collapse of all the cars and their contents into the river Niger with unimaginable repercussions.
“Based on the general clamour for a Second Niger Bridge, the former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, in 1992, challenged the Nigerian engineers to come up with a design of the second bridge. It was believed that upon completion, the bridge will ease traffic flow, allay fears, improve road safety and create greater road user confidence among the commuters.
“Several administrations had used the second Niger Bridge as a bait on the Igbo, especially during political campaigns. When President Buhari promised that he will complete the second Niger Bridge, not many believed, especially when he could not conceal his lopsided political appointments and other resource allocations against the South-East.
“On assumption of office as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador Professor George Obiozor in company of several APC government officials on February 6, 2021, visited the site wherein he remarked that the ‘people of the South-East would continue to be grateful to the present Federal Government for hearkening to the needs of the Ndigbo’.
“A few days ago, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), disclosed that the Second Niger Bridge would be open to traffic from December 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023, to ease the experience of travellers during the Yuletide break. And so, it has come.
“Surely, President Buhari did not start the work on the bridge, but in a country where the abandoned projects far outnumber the completed ones, vital infrastructure that should have been taken for granted are celebrated.
“While the Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Obiozor immensely appreciates Mr President on the Second Niger Bridge, it is hoped that Mr. President will use the remaining few months in office to pursue some other transcendental objectives which will write his name with gold in the sands of time.”