Follow Us on Google
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to urgently reconstruct the collapsed bridge at New Artisan along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
The House also charged the government to fix the Aba-Port harcourt section of Enugu -Port Harcourt Expressway, owing to their commercial importance to the country.
The parliament also urged the government to ensure the provision of adequate funds for the fixing of roads and bridges in the South East geo political zone.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Nnolim Nnaji, Chimaobi Atu, Paul Nnamchi and eight others..
Nnaji, while leading debate on the motion, noted that the collapse of the bridge at the New Artisan section of the Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway, has disrupted movements along the road, with many commuters stranded.
This collapsed bridge which is of great economic value to Nigeria, is not only located along Enugu federal expressway, but is equally a connecting road to some parts of Imo State, Ebonyi State, then to Umuahia and Aba (commercial nerve centre of South East) both in Abia State, finally connecting some other South-South region like Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States respectively.
“If this bridge is not urgently repaired, it will affect logistics and movement of goods and services and also business-economic growth in Enugu State and across some other states, leading to huge losses and sufferings of commuters. ”
He observed that study shows that ” the alarming state of dilapidating roads and bridges in South East due to long neglect and paucity of funds to reconstruct or
maintain the roads as the collapse of bridges and deteriorating road infrastructure seems to be on a growing trend, which calls for urgent intervention.
“It has become imperative to examine the phenomenon of highway disasters with a view to underscoring its implications on national security in Nigeria, which constitutes a veritable threat to road safety as well as human security, in view of its destructive impacts and complications and urgent need for construction of quality bridges and its maintenance to curb the menace. ”
