Hope rises for 2nd N/bridge, Zik's Mausoleum, Onitsha - Enugu road as Fashola speaks Onitsha when Obiano demands payment of N43.8 Billion

Hope yesterday, rose for the full commencement of the construction of second river Niger bridge, the completion of Zik's Mausolum and and reconstruction of Onitsha - Enugu expressway as the minister of works, housing and power Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN visited Onitsha and gave assurance that the federal government would soon start works on these projects.

Speaking at the site of the second Niger bridge on visit yesterday Fashola  said that the Second Niger Bridge will be completed very soon adding that he came for assessment of the project in order to fast track the completion.

According to Fashola, "The compensation is not extinguished by the fact that the bridge is being built, so nobody gains by stopping the construction of the bridge, nobody gains by stopping the construction of the access road. The access road from Onitsha end and Asaba end that are under design which we need to quickly complete".

"As you might be aware this bridge was conceived as a public private partnership between the federal government and some other investors. Essentially this was the first Nigeria free move towards the PPP as a federal government and comes a lot of challenges the investors do not understand host the communities and so they will commit money unless they are sure there will be any hostilities, they want commitment in writing and by conduct and if they commit money project will be stopped by court actions and court injunctions or by act of violence".

"So those are the assurances that i came here to seek and bring the commitment of federal government and federal republic to ensuring that this bridge which is one of the largest infrastructural projects under by this administration and to be completed as soon as possible" he assured.

"I have been briefed since my assumption of status of work and also the issues relating to lands,  compensation issues, identification of appropriate land owning members. There are issues about the wholesomeness or lack thereof of environmental social impact assessment studies conducted. I have also be briefed about the  letters written by Royal Highness to recommend certain persons to help in identifying and representing the interest of the land owning families".

"In my meetings with the contracting firms, I have also made very clear to them and not only must this bridge leave transport asset behind, it must leave the economic prosperity behind for the people who host it".


Governor Willie Obiano in a remarks urged the federal government to refund N43.8 billion owe to the state through the federal projects previously embarked upon by the state government in the state.

He appealed to the minister to rehabilitate the collapsed Enugu-Onitsha expressway and reviving the Nnewi power station among other projectS. ENDS