From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has launched the construction of a 5-span bridge in Enyim community, Izzi Local Government Area, to connect Igede and Obi in Oju Local Government Area of Benue State.
The bridge will also link Cross River, Kogi, and other regions, providing a shorter route from Abakaliki to Lagos and Abuja.
Flagged off on Wednesday, May 14, the project, handled by Project Sappers Engineering Nigeria Limited, a Nigerian Army subsidiary, is expected to be completed in eight to nine months. Nwifuru, reflecting on a 1996 accident that brought him to the Sudan United Mission hospital in Enyim, recalled seeing the river’s dangers and questioning when a bridge would be built. “I didn’t know those questions I was asking myself were the questions I would be answering myself,” he said, expressing confidence in completing the project.
He praised Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia for committing to constructing roads linking the bridge to his local government, enhancing connectivity. Brigadier General Saidu Selki Bello, Director of Project Sappers and project coordinator, emphasised the bridge’s role in tackling insecurity. “If the bridge is prepared, it will deter insurgents or any other criminal activities across the two states,” Bello said, noting that the 100-metre, five-span bridge will enable faster troop movements.
Bello added that 80% of the equipment has been mobilised from Abuja, with work set to begin the following week. The project, described as equipment-intensive, aims to minimise costs while linking the “Salt of the Nation” (Ebonyi) with the “Food Basket of the Nation” (Benue), fostering economic and security benefits.