Ayodeji Ayenuwa
The Enugu House of Representatives caucus, led by Mr. Nnoli Nnaji representing Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency, has made an urgent appeal to the Federal Government.
Their plea? Swiftly reconstruct a collapsed bridge on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, which recently crumbled at the New Artisan section, causing severe disruptions for local residents and travelers.
During a visit to the site of the bridge collapse, caucus members, including Mr. Stainless Nwodo, Mr. Chimaobi Atu, and Mr. Obi Aguocha, jointly called upon the Federal Government to address the deteriorating condition of roads in the South East region.
Their proposal includes declaring a state of emergency on infrastructure to tackle the challenges head-on.
Mr. Nnoli Nnaji disclosed that he had engaged in discussions with the Chairman of the House Committee on Works and was informed of Governor Peter Mbah’s efforts to engage Senator Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works, regarding the bridge’s collapse.
While hinting at possible causes for the bridge’s collapse, Nnaji suggested “Possibly from a layman’s view, the influence from where they are doing abattoir that eats up the soil apparently led to the shift of the foundation of the bridge. But engineers will tell us more.”
He also proposed that this might be the best time to conduct an “integrity test” on all aging bridges and flyovers.
According to him, the road was constructed in the 1970s, making it a potential candidate for such assessments: “The road was built in the 1970s, and I also believe this is an opportunity for us to do integrity test in all the bridges and flyovers that was built a long time ago.”
Simultaneously, in a show of commitment to their constituents and all those affected, the caucus members, like Mr. Obi Aguocha, reaffirmed their dedication to expediting the bridge’s repair.
Obi Aguocha emphasized the significance of Enugu as the capital of Igbo land and its impact on the entire region. According to him “Anything that happens to Enugu happens to everybody in Igboland, and the collapse is causing a lot of stress to Nigerians plying the road.”
Techrectory with Agency Report.
