Dr. Chiedozie Ohanaeze Ndigbo's National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia, said in a statement given to journalists in Enugu on Friday that the Second Niger Bridge is a key piece of national infrastructure that will have huge social and economic benefits not just for the states next to it but for the whole country.
"The Nigerian Civil War made it clear that there was a need for a second Niger bridge." The first Niger Bridge opened in 1965, and the Nigerian civil war began in 1967, not long after. So, the bridge was not safe from the destruction of war.
"The second Niger Bridge has been a major worry for the Igbo for over fifty years for two main reasons: the traffic jam on top of the bridge and the fear that the stress of the weights on the bridge could cause all the vehicles and their contents to fall into the River Niger, with unimaginable results."
"General Ibrahim Babangida, a former military president, asked Nigerian engineers to come up with a plan for a second Niger Bridge in 1992. This was because many people wanted a second bridge. People thought that when the bridge was finished, it would improve traffic flow, calm fears, make the roads safer, and give drivers more confidence.
"Several administrations, especially during political campaigns, had used the Second Niger Bridge as bait to get the Igbo to work for them.
"Few people believed President Buhari when he said he would finish the bridge, especially since he had given the South East unfair political appointments and other resources.
"On his first day as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Professor George Obiozor visited the site on February 6, 2021, with several APC government officials. He told them that the people of the Southeast would always be grateful to the current federal government for listening to the needs of the Ndigbo."
