The Federal Government, yesterday, gave indications that the Second Niger Bridge project is fully completed and set to be handed over to end users by May 15.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, gave the hint after the Federal Executive Council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Represented by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, Fashola explained that besides the Second Niger Bridge, other national projects such as the Loko Oweto bridge, Kano-Zaria road, completed federal secretariats in Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Zamfara, among others, would be handed over to end users by the government.
Recall that Federal Government has variously used the Second Niger Bridge as one of its landmark projects executed by the administration despite lean resources.
On other occasions, also, it has used the project to mock successive administrations of using it as conduit pipe to fleece the country of its resources.
Lai Mohammed said: “The first memo Fashola presented today was a memo seeking approval for revised estimated total cost of a contract for completion of Phase two of Uto Bridge, 2.6 kilometer stretch in Ikenke, Delta State.
“This is an old project, which we are committed to completing. I think the project was awarded in 2006, but we are committed to completing it. So, today, the FEC approved the sum of N1.398 billion to revise the contract from N4.435 billion to N5.835 billion, inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT, to ensure we’re able to complete this project before we leave.
“Also, the Minister of Works brought approval for the ongoing bypassing, I think along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, but the good thing about this project is that we can confidently and proudly announce that the Kano-Zaria 137 kilometer and the Zaria-Kaduna 73 kilometers will be handed over to us on May 15. Ditto the Second Niger Bridge will be handed over to us on May 15, the Lagos-Ibadan 116 kilometers, with tollgates, will be handed over to us on April 30.
“The Loko-Oweto Bridge is also completed; so also is the Ikom Bridge completed. Our federal secretariats in Nasarawa, Awka, Bayelsa and Zamfara State are also completed.”
