National Assembly Committees on Works Urge Tinubu to Declare Emergency on Infrastructure

The committees on Works of both chambers of the National Assembly have urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on the country’s infrastructure.

According to the Chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works,

Barring any last minute change in plans, the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, which has been partially closed to traffic in the last seven weeks, will be re-opened on April 4, 2024.

Lagos Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, confirmed the re-opening yesterday in a statement.

Osiyemi said: “Dear Lagos Residents, We’re pleased to share that the

Senator Barinada Mpigi and the Hon. Akin Alabi, respectively, the state of emergency declaration becomes imperative given the enormity of the challenges.

While noting that the situation of the nation’s infrastructure calls for thinking outside the box, the lawmakers pointed out that the financial requirements needed to fix the nation’s infrastructure are well beyond the capacity of

Third Mainland Bridge will resume full operations on April 4th, 2024, following extensive repairs.

“We sincerely thank you for your patience and cooperation, and we look forward to even smoother travels ahead.”

The state government had on January 5, 2024, announced that the bridge would be partially closed from Tuesday, January 9, for repairs. annual appropriations.

However, the lawmakers who were in the entourage of the Minister of Works, David Umahi during an inspection tour of the Third Mainland, Eko and Carter bridges linking Lagos mainland with Victoria Island yesterday, assured Nigerians that the National Assembly would do everything possible within the limits of the law to help fund the projects given their importance in the scheme of things in the nation’s commercial nerve centre.

According to a statement by the Ministry’s Director of Information, Ben Goong, the minister and his entourage also inspected the ongoing rehabilitation works on the first section of the Third Mainland Bridge, where he declared that the rehabilitation work on Carter would soon commence, having mobilised the contractor handling the project with N7billion a couple of days ago.

He emphasised that the successful completion of rehabilitation works on phase one of the Third Mainland Bridge is a clear indication that the Tinubu’s administration is on course not only to rehabilitate the Third Mainland Bridge but also to carry out comprehensive repairs on Eko and Carter bridges in Lagos, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the federal government.

Umahi described the aesthetics of markings and solar lights on the Oworonshoki end of the bridge as beautiful, while pointing out that the underwater aspects of the project remain the most complicated and critical, adding that the underwater structural damage to the three bridges calls for concern.

He, however, expressed optimism that Tinubu’s administration is equal to the task and will confront the challenges head-on.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, OI Kesha, while conducting the minister around different sections of the Third Mainland Bridge, the Carter and EKO Bridges, informed the minister that the underwater damage to the three Bridges is far more colossal than imagined.

The Controller also took the minister’s entourage to several sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, and some sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway among other federal projects in Lagos State.