Work starts on 2nd Niger Bridge as FG spends N10 Billion on out of N130 Billion with pictures

 

www.odogwublog.com reports that work has advanced at the 2^nd Niger Bridge site Onitsha/Asaba as witnessed by President Goodluck Jonathan today.

Jonathan said the second Niger Bridge will cost his government N130 billion and it’s being executed through Public private partnership (PPP). He informed the project is going as scheduled with piling on going , as well as the dredging work.

www.odogwublog.com found out that about 50 expatriates are working with 200 Nigerians at the site.  Jonathan said his government has spent over N10billion to import special steel for the work.

This is even as Commercial activities were yesterday paralyzed in Anambra  and Delta states as President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan takes his campaign trip to Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra state.
Jonathan was accompanied by his wife, Dame Patient Jonathan, His vice, Arch. Namadi Sambo, the VP’s wife, Amina Sambo, the National Chairman of the Party, Adamu Muazu, Director General of the Campaign, Almed Ali, PDP chieftains including Prince Arthur Eze, Chief Osita Chidioka , Chief Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra state among others.
President Jonathan in his speech, said he did not cone to campaign in Anambra State but to renew  his relationship with Anambrarians, noting that Anambra people have demonstrated beyond every reasonable doubt that they are solidly behind him.
Jonathan, who earlier inspected the state of work in the second Niger Bridge, expressed satisfaction at the level of work going on there and urged Anambrarians not to listen to propagandists who claim that he is unserious with the project.
“The second Niger Bridge will cost government N130 billion and it is done with the Public private partnership. I visited the site and the project is going on schedule. The piling is on going ,the dredging work is on going and presently, about 50 expatriates are working with 200 Nigerians at the site and we have spent over N10billion to import special steel for the work” he said
Mr. President extolled the entrepreneurial spirit of Ndigbo especially Anambrarians and pledged to encourage and support them, even as he added that “business is in the blood of every Anambrarian but what government needs is to support them to go higher and higher”
The Director General, Goodluck/Sambo campaign, Senator Almed Ali accused the presidential flag bearer of All Progressive Congress (APC), General Mohammed Buhari of corruption, saying that “Buhari grounded this nation.

“We have his records as Governor and as Minister of interior when 2.8 million dollars disappeared. He jailed politicians and created decrees that helped him to jail anybody at will. Buhari is a terminator of democracy and such a man should not be allowed to rule this country again,” he submitted.
The Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi said he owed all his eight years achievements to President Jonathan democratic stance, urged Ndigbo to vote him for second tenure.
Obi, who is the Deputy DG of the President’s campaign, South said that Anambra has benefited a lot from the federal government through president Jonathan’s administration.
“Anybody that knows about Nigeria will know that all that we are enjoying today in Anambra state comes through Jonathan-the massive road construction, the second Niger Bridge, the Fly Over at Nkpor, the Obosi bye pass, Jonathan provided money for those projects. He also provided money we used to buy vehicles for schools and traditional rulers. He brought the whole money we used to work in Anambra state.

A Chieftain of the party, Chief Okey Muoaro alleged that the State Gov. Chief Willie Obiano has been threatening to arrest some PDP candidates in the State and warned him to leave their flag bearers alone to campaign.

According to him, “PDP is not begging to rig election but to allow us do our campaign. We are aware that we have multiple candidates but it is left for the court to decide who is a candidate or not. Politics is a game of elimination by process. So, tell him to leave us alone”

At the palace of the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe invited   Governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano and his predecessor, Chief Peter Obi with President Goodluck Jonathan as witness and asked them to embrace to settle whatever issues they had and they did to the admiration of all amidst jubilation. They embraced and went back to their seat.

Jonathan told the  Obi of Onitsha that he decided to pay a visit to the second Niger bridge site ascertain the true position of work at the multi-billion project which he said is very critical to his administration.

 “I decided that I must visit the site of the second Niger Bridge to know the level of work there because some people have been saying all sort of things and on my way here, I said I must visit it before coming to pay courtesy call on His Majesty. Work is in progress as the project which will gulp over N135 billion is making process”

Jonathan further disclosed that the federal government has released N10 billion for the projects out of which over N1.5b was used to pay damages as part of efforts to accelerate work at the project.

“We have released N10 billon for the project out of which N1.5 billion was used to pay damages. I also discovered that work is really in progress as the access road that will lead to the bridge that is about 3km have been graded just to make sure that there is access to the site and I spoke with the management of Julius Berger and they assured me that the project will be completed within 40 months” he said.

He expressed optimism that his presidential aspiration would get the support of the people of the zone, adding “I get a very big support from the South East and that is why I decided to pay a courtesy call on you, Your Majesty to tell you that your son, Azikiwe Jonathan is contesting for the presidential election”