BUHARI INAUGURATES 2ND NIGER BRIDGE

REPORTER: BEN ILECHUKWU

President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the 3.2km Second Niger Bridge for public use.

Inaugurating the project virtually, President Buhari remarked that the edifice which was completed within the lifespan of his eight years administration, would boost Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and improve economic activities in the region.

The Second Niger Bridge awarded with contract sum of over 200 billion naira was named after President Mohammadu Buhari and inaugurated simultaneously with seven other legacy projects completed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing across the country.

The projects included the Loko-Oweto Bridge across River Benue to link Benue to Nasarawa State; and the Ikom Bridge in Cross River State; including the completed Section of the over 200 kilometres of Kano-Kaduna Dual Carriage Expressway road projects; and three new Federal Secretariats.

Speaking during the ceremony through online platform, President Buhari while stressing that the use of the bridges would ameliorate poverty, boost economic activities and create employment opportunities, noted that his administration had doubled infrastructure and Gross Domestic Product from 20% to over 40%.

The President further hinted that the projects were funded through loans and money recovered from looted funds, adding that most of the debt recorded by his administration were channeled to infrastructure, which he said had gross impact on the Nigeria’s growth.

Also, the Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige, expressed profound gratitude to President Buhari for fulfilling his promise to the South Eastern region, which he noted was neglected and used as tool for campaign by previous administrations.

Speaking through online platform, the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashoola, said the bridge would reduce traffic gridlock on the existing bridge and shorten the time to cross the 1.5km of River Niger .

For his part, Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, who appreciated the Buhari led Federal Government for fulfilling one of the five requests the South Eastern region had been clamouring for.

Governor Soludo used the occasion to remind the President of other numerous projects begging for attention in the South Eastern region and expressed the hope that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, would provide solution to the lingering problems.

In their separate speeches, the Governor of Delta State represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Ovie Agas and the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, while thanking President Buhari for keeping to his promises, said that the bridge would link the old Eastern region and old western region to the outside world.

The event attracted traditional rulers, top government functionaries, among other dignitaries.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU

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