By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, has described the second Niger bridge as a very significant project for the federal government.
Speaking while inspecting the project at Onitsha, the Minister said: “Today, we have been able to fund this project with N157billion and I’m here to see where all this money has gone into.
“And also, the significance of today is that the two ends of the bridge are being put together and this is the final phase of the work in truly completing the project and the finishing of the work on the bridge.
“So technically, I can report to Mr President that I have seen where all the N157billion has gone to.
“This is a project that is very dear to the President and it is designed to uplift the lives and livelihood of the people of the South-East and other parts of the country, and we do hope that when this project comes on stream, it will ease traffic, will enhance commercial activities and improve the lives of the people”.
According to a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Mr Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi made available in Abuja on Monday, the Minister stated that the project is one of the legacy projects of the federal government which include the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway.
Mrs. Ahmed said: “Government attached so much importance to the Second Niger Bridge project because of the huge developmental impact which the project would have on the lives of Nigerians”.
“Today is a very significant day in the construction cycle of the second Niger bridge. And this is one of the most iconic projects in the country and its costing the federal government over N250billion.”
The Minister expressed satisfaction on the pace and quality of the job done by both the National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Julius Berger.
She said that through the project, the federal government has been able to create about 20,000 jobs at the construction site.
“And also, I am happy to see the ladies I am seeing at the construction site, not all men. Julius Berger has brought some very unique innovations in the construction of this project and I want to, on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, applaud the skills of the construction workers that have been working on this project.”
Earlier, in his speech, the Managing Director of NSIA, Mr. Uche Orji, said that the second Niger bridge is one of the three projects being funded from the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF). The other two projects are the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road, and the Lagos-Ibadan express road projects.
Mr Orji said: “The PIDF is a special fund set up by President Buhari and managed by the NSIA. The Authority brought some of its own capital and the capital provided by the federal government and the capital from returned loot from late Sani Abacha.
