Minister of Works David Umahi has ordered the removal of all illegal advertisements from the First Niger Bridge, directing that pictures of President Bola Tinubu be displayed on the bridge while rehabilitation work is being completed.
Key Highlights
- David Umahi orders removal of illegal adverts from the First Niger Bridge.
- Tinubu’s pictures are to be displayed on the bridge for now.
- Future advertisements on the bridge will require approval from the Ministry of Works.
- Additional solar-powered lights and CCTV cameras are being installed.
- A committee has been set up to assess the bridge above and below the water level.
- The Federal Government expects the bridge to reopen to motorists next week, subject to completion of critical works.
Umahi gave the directive on Wednesday during an inspection of ongoing rehabilitation work on the bridge, which connects Onitsha in Anambra State with Asaba in Delta State.
Umahi said no individual or organisation would be allowed to place advertisements on the bridge without obtaining approval from the Ministry of Works.
“For now, the bridge will be decorated with the pictures of President Tinubu. Once we are done with work on this bridge, I want all the illegal adverts on this bridge removed,” the minister said.
He added that anyone seeking to advertise on the bridge would have to apply to the Ministry of Works.
The minister said the directive was intended to regulate the use of the bridge and recognise the Federal Government’s intervention in the rehabilitation project.
First Niger Bridge Gets Security Upgrades
Umahi also directed officials to install additional solar-powered lights on the bridge and complete the closed-circuit television system, with the surveillance system to be linked to the Second Niger Bridge.
He further disclosed that a committee had been constituted to conduct an empirical assessment of the condition of the bridge both above and below the water level.
According to Umahi, the committee was expected to submit its report by the end of the following workday.
The First Niger Bridge is currently undergoing rehabilitation following the discovery that vandals had removed critical structural components, including bolts, nuts and sections of the expansion-joint steelwork.
The closure of the bridge, initially scheduled to end on September 21, was extended by one week following persistent rainfall that affected the rehabilitation work.
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Umahi said the Federal Government expects the bridge to reopen to motorists next week, subject to the completion of the remaining critical structural works.
The rehabilitation has included replacement of the vandalised bolts and expansion joints, repairs to the carriageway and walkways, installation of CCTV cameras and solar-powered streetlights, as well as other structural improvements.
First Niger Bridge Links Anambra, Delta
The First Niger Bridge connects Onitsha in Anambra State with Asaba in Delta State and remains an important transport link for the movement of people and goods between the South-East and other parts of Nigeria.
Umahi has also called for continued attention to the infrastructure around the bridge, including monitoring of scrap markets and activities that could contribute to the vandalism of public infrastructure.
The minister said the Federal Government would continue structural assessments to ensure the bridge is safe before it is fully reopened to traffic.
