By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja 

The Federal Government has regurgitated the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to complete the Second Niger Bridge in the South East before leaving office on May 29, 2023.

This is as the government has said that reports from commuters using the East-bound axis of the new bridge are very positive as motorists are having smooth drive across the bridge since it was opened a week ago.

The Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola, gave the assurance, Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Fashola said job on the  multi-billion naira new bridge is almost complete but for the disruption of work occasioned by the sit-at-home order being observed by the people in the South East end of the bridge. 

He lamented that the sit-at-home being observed on Mondays have conspired to delay the speed of work as the contractors have lost many man hours just as he stated that those lost days are responsible for the delay in the completion of the project. 

The former Lagos state Governor however, said that the remaining work in both the Obosi and Asaba sides of the bridge are progressing well, pointing out that the project despite the delay will be completed and commissioned before the end of the present administration on May 29, 2023.

According to him, “I am certain that the 2nd Niger Bridge will be completed and commissioned before the end of this administration. The work remaining to be done on the main bridge are just road markings, fixing of signs and fittings. It is completed if I may say hence it is being put to temporary use now. 

 “From the Obosi side in the Eastern part, work is on-going on the adjoining roads and would have been completed if not the sit-at-home order on Mondays which have slowed the pace of the work.

Also, from the Asaba end of the bridge, you can see the stockpiling of sand and because it’s a marshy area, after sand-filling, you allow the land to dry up. So we are doing the pre-fabricated stockpiling and soon the works will be completed “.

Also answering question on the dredging of the Calabar Port, the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo blamed litigation for stalling the project but announced that President Buhari has directed his ministry and that of the Justice to see to it that the issues are resolved amicably.

He said, “By way of background, I would like to state that the Calabar channel management is part and parcel of the other channel managements that had existed between the Nigerian Ports Authority and its joint venture partners, namely the Lagos Channel Management, the Port Harcourt Bonny Channel Management, otherwise called BCCI, Bonny Channel Company Limited and the JV with the Niger Global in respect to Calabar Channel. 

“Now, you are aware that about the three, NPA had encountered difficulties with the JV partnership, with respect to the Calabar channel dredging. This has been as a result of several litigations from both sides, about the Nigerian ports authority but mainly the joint venture partners Niger Global. 

“However, following presidential intervention, the Ministry of Transportation and the Federal Ministry of Justice have been directed to put in everything they can to resolve all outstanding court cases with a view to having a full resumption of this very very laudable projects. This we are in the process of doing and should be concluding very, very soon.”

On his part, the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi blamed some Civil Society Organisations as well as some individuals in Rivers State of stalling Ogoni clean up through litigations.

He said this while reacting to allegations by the Movement for Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) against the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) charged with implementing problematic Ogoni Cleanup in Rivers state of slow pace of work as well as embezzlement.

He said: “On the agitation by MOSOP that accuses HYPREP of slow implementation projects. The federal government is as concerned as MOSOP  in terms of the seeming slow pace of the project execution. But however, these are sometimes in most cases, the federal government is not the direct cause. Sometimes you find that individuals and CSOs within Ogoni Land, go to court to obtain one sort of order or another against HYPREP from proceeding with some processes. 

“So it has hampered the process as captured in PPP.  As we speak now, there’s a group called the Good Conscience that has gone to court to restrain the federal government from continuing with that water projects. Now we’re installed, we can’t move in, we can’t proceed, we can’t make any headway. 

“So sometimes most of these slow processes are caused by individuals who have interests in specific areas or projects within the Ogoni land. But we’re as concerned as them and with the funding guarantees that we have now, we have in place very strong supervisory and monitoring evaluation team that ensures that it must achieve, and of course, eventually for  payments. 

“So we assure that going forward with the funding that we have in place, with the strong supervisory  that we have now in place. And then, of course the assurances we’re having from the stakeholders, there should be a reinvigorated peace in terms of project execution in Ogoni land.”

On the allegation of embezzlement against HYPREP, the minister said, “To the best of my knowledge, some of these accusations, sometimes are not very objective. In most cases, they are propelled by very ulterior motives to distract HYPREP. However, we’re open to look into any allegation that has been made against any of our partners in the ministry. So if there are concrete evidence that shows that indeed there are embezzlement, of course, you and I know that this President will never take lightly to that kind of allegations and we will be able to handle it decisively.”

On the funding arrangement to finance the remediation projects and whether or not the IOCs are involved in the contributions, Abdullahi said: “Yes, they are. There is dedicated fund being superintended by the Ogoni Trust Fund, which essentially has been pooled together by the IOCs to actually finance the remediation projects under this principle of the polluter pays. 

“So yes, there is a dedicated fund, is available. Recently the President approved what we call the Crash Calls to finance this  projects in line with the budget as approved by the Governing Council of HYPREP.”

Speaking on the collateral deaths in Zamfara State when the airforce bombarded the terrorists in their hide-out, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed said:

“In respect of the unfortunate collateral deaths in Zamfara state, I think the federal government regrets this. Fighting insurgency is a very difficult thing. And as much as the air force or the military are careful, once in a while, it does happen. That innocent people actually also suffer. We will regret it. 

“But I think it is the nature of fighting insurgency and the military are very, very careful, especially  the Air Force and the army when trying to contain insurgency not to, allow innocent lives to be killed. The airforce regrets it, we regret it. But unfortunately once in a while it happens.”