Jonathan kicks off N117 billion Second Niger Bridge project Monday, 10 March 2014 22:14 Written by Kodilinye Obiagwu, Chuks Collins (Awka), Hendrix Oliomogbe (Asaba), Nkechi Onyedika and Chuks Collins (Onitsha) • To be completed in four years under BOT • Orji, Obi, Uduaghan, Achebe laud action HISTORY was made Monday at the commercial town of Onitsha, Anambra State, as President Goodluck Jonathan did the groundbreaking of the Second Niger Bridge linking the eastern part of the country with the South-South geo-political zone. Meanwhile, South-East governors, their counterparts from the South-South and other eminent Igbo yesterday commended Jonathan for kickstarting the project.. Coming almost 49 years after the commissioning of the first Niger Bridge by former President Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1965, Jonathan promised that the landmark project being executed by Julius Berger would be completed in four years at a total cost of over N117 billion. He told the guests at the ceremony who included host Governor Peter Obi, Ebonyi State Governor Martin Elechi and Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan; Minister of Finance and the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen; the Obi of Onitsha Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe and a host of others that the project will be executed under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for a period of 25 years. However, Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu and his Imo State counterpart, Rochas Okorocha, were absent at the ceremony. President Jonathan said: “The first Niger Bridge was commissioned by President Nnamdi Azikiwe and the second will be built by the second Azikiwe. The second bridge is being built almost 49 years after the first. This will alleviate the congestion on the first Niger Bridge, especially during festive period. The bridge will improve road traffic between the South Eastern part of the country and the rest of the country.” Jonathan remarked that he was only out to fulfill his electioneering promise way back in 2007 when as a vice presidential candidate, he came visiting Anambra on a campaign stump and promised to build the bridge. Jonathan noted that the bridge is key to economic transformation of the country, adding that when completed, would improve commercial activities in the South-East and the South western part of the country. He observed that government has made a proper arrangement for the financing of this major infrastructure, and government would provide about 25 per cent funding for the project. The President thanked Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and his Delta State counterpart, Emmanuel Uduaghan for showing committed interest in the project, adding that he would rely on the support of all Nigerians to ensure the speedy completion of the bridge. He appealed to the in-coming Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, to show the zeal and commitment exhibited by the out-going governor towards the project. Also speaking, Minister of Finance and the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, explained that the project would be 60 per cent equity and 40 per cent debt, adding that the financing model being proposed would be a template for the development of economically viable projects in the country. According to her, the financing structure put in place by government would facilitate speedy completion of the project. Okonjo-Iweala who described the existing Niger Bridge as a bridge of love, stressed the need for the country to build more bridges that would close our historic divides, and connect communities and the entire country together. Onolememen explained that the concession period of 25 years through Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) model will obtain for the bridge which on completion will be 1,590 metres long, and forms part 11.90 km length of the entire project. The minister said that the bridge will be located 1.7 kilometres downstream of the existing bridge on a new alignment and consists of two Number equal end spans of 40 metres, 15 Number equal intermediate spans of 55 metres each and two Number intermediate spans of 90 metres each, 3 Number navigational spans of 150 metres each. He added that the total width of the dual carriageway bridge will be 35metres consisting of 16.05 metres wide three-lane carriageway in each direction and 3.03metres central reserve, adding that two underpasses categorised as secondary bridges are planned at Amakon Village and Atani Roads with an interchange on Onitsha-Owerri Road forming part of the project. He said: “The second bridge is being realised under the PPP model. The special purpose vehicle will be jointly owned by Julius Berger-Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority Consortium and Federal Government. And as obtainable under the PPP model, the concessionaire will have the right to charge tolls for the use of the second Niger Bridge as well as have full commercial rights on the Projects Right of Way.” Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum and Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, described the flag-off of the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge as the flag off of the process of retaining President Goodluck Jonathan in office in 2015. Orji noted that President Jonathan has made history, and is leaving behind an indelible legacy in the sands of time. He said: “This Bridge is very significant to the South-East. We have been discussing how to retain the President, and today is the flag off of that process of retaining the President. The President should have confidence in the South-East because you are doing what you ought to do and we would ensure that you are retained come 2015.” Also speaking, Obi noted that by flagging off the 2nd Niger Bridge project, President Jonathan has made the South-East to be part of Nigeria. He said: “We will over-pay you in 2015 because you have turned around the country and everybody is proud of Nigeria. When they conceived this bridge earlier, they said Anambra and Delta states would pay counterpart funding of N10 billion each but President Jonathan removed it. The fake flag off was done and we did not know the contractor, but we are happy that a 1st class construction company is handling the project. It took President Jonathan for us to give Odumegwu-Ojukwu a befitting burial; Nigeria did not bury Zik the way he deserved to be buried. They even promised us a Mausoleum and have not built it. The construction of the bridge means rebuilding Anambra State and the Igbo land and making us part of Nigeria”. In his remarks, Uduaghan observed that there is a South-South, South-East co-operation going on, and that the bridge is very significant to the people of the South-South and the South-East. He, therefore, requested that the bridge be named Asaba-Onitsha Bridge. He stated that the President that is flagging off the construction of the bridge would also commission it in four years time, adding “he who cook food go chop am, abi no be so? Our wish is that President Goodluck Jonathan who flagged off this bridge today would also commission it in four years’ time in Jesus name, Amen”. Uduaghan observed that the Delta State government would ensure a peaceful environment for the execution of the project. For Achebe, the existing bridge and the new one have a significant impact on the lives of all Nigerians and not just the South-East as it connects the East and the West, the North and the South. While calling on the Federal Government to ensure the payment of its counterpart fund, the monarch assured that Anambra State would provide enabling environment for the contractor to execute the project. Also speaking, former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Infrastructure Concessioning and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Ken Nnamani, said that new bridge when completed would boost economic activities in the South-South and South-East as well as the entire country and reduce travel time.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 05:56:12 +0000
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