FG Has Committed N10bn On 2nd Niger Bridge, Says Jonathan

IGNATIUS OKPARA, Onitsha – President Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed that the Federal Government has spent about N10 billion on the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge out of the total N130 billion the project will gulp.

Jonathan made this known Saturday when he stopped over at the project site in Asaba,, en route to Onitsha, Anambra state, for his presidential campaign in the commercial city.

He noted that it was a big project being executed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

According to him, now that it had taken off, its execution would go on smoothly and uninterrupted through out the 48 months completion period.

His words: “So far, out of the N130 billion total cost of the project, we have spent about N10 billion.

“It is a big project and now that it has taken off, it will go on smoothly through the 48 months completion time.

“The project is a PPP arrangement, I am quite impressed with what I have seen,” he said.

Jonathan, added that most components required for the project had been procured and piling work had started.

In his remarks, Minister of Works, Mike Onolomemen, stated that a lot had been done since the flag off of the project in March 2014.

Onolememen said the contracting firm, Julius Berger Nigeria, was engaged because of its antecedents, adding that almost all the procurements for the construction of the bridge were imported.

According to him, work was in progress with the piles being driven into the ground and dredging going on along the River Niger.

“For us, it is a thing of joy and certainly before the next raining season, a lot of piles would have been driven in.

“No doubt, development of infrastructure takes a long time.”

Managing Director of Julius Berger, Detler Lubasch, assured that work on the project would be sustained.

Mr. Lubasch said the project would be of enormous social and economic benefits and important to Nigeria.