Convoy Of FG’S Team To Second Niger Bridge Not Involved In Road Crash  No fatal crash occurred during Tuesday’s inspection of the Second Niger by a Federal Government Team led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.    Contrary to the sensational report making the rounds on the social media, the Team which also comprised the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, his Labour and Productivity counterpart, Dr. Chris Ngige and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Mr Uche Orji  on arrival at the Asaba Airport in Delta State visited the Interchange along Owerri-Onitsha Road and the East approach to the Bridge in Onitsha from where they walked across to the West approach.    After a media briefing by members of the Team, the Chief of Staff was conducted to the West approach at Asaba and the Toll Plaza of the Bridge before returning to Abuja.    It was discovered much later that one of the vehicles in the Team of the Commissioner of Police from Anambra State had a mishap during which two policemen sustained injuries. It was confirmed from the Nigeria Police, Anambra State Command that they were treated at the Federal Medical Centre Asaba and had since been discharged.    The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN, following anxious calls from well-meaning members of the public about the safety of the members of the Federal Government delegation, expresses deep sympathies over the injured two men of the Anambra Police Command.    However, no lives were lost at all as claimed in the false report by the online platform of a national daily.    ...

Second Niger Bridge To Be Ready By April - FG ·  As Gambari, Fashola, Ngige, others inspect Bridge, record milestone of walking from Asaba to Onitsha end of Project The Federal Government has assured that the Second Niger Bridge will be completed by April 2022 and would be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari before the end of the year. Describing the Second Niger Bridge as a national infrastructure with immense socio-economic benefits for the contiguous states and indeed the entire nation, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari , Prof. Ibrahim Gambari who in company with the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, his Labour and Productivity counterpart , Dr. Chris Ngige and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji inspected the bridge on Tuesday March 8, 2022, said  that the project has once again demonstrated the President’s commitment to the bridging of the infrastructure gap in the country.  He said that the project being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is funded through the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund in conjunction with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). On tolling of the asset when completed, Prof. Gambari said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had developed a National Tolling Policy for the entire nation and that whether or not the bridge would be tolled was not the key issue, adding that the priority of the government was to get the project delivered. He added that if the road was eventually tolled, there would be alternative route. “So, when this bridge is tolled, the old bridge is an alternative route, so you have the choice to make between speed and price,” he said. Speaking on the possibility of managing the bridge through a concession arrangement, the Minister of Works and Housing said the major responsibility of the government was to deliver the project in collaboration with NSIA saying, “Once we have finished, if they choose to concession, they can concession.” Fashola said that the Ministry has secured the approval of the Federal Executive Council on a National Tolling Policy that is of international standard.  “Concessioning of projects is regulated by law. There are rules on how it is done. We are currently supervising the concession of 12 highways across Nigeria through the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) and the process is opened to the general public. “So, if we choose to concession this one, it will also be opened to the general public,” he said. He stated that the Chief of Staff to the President was on tour of the project to see that what the Ministry has been reporting is in consonance with what is happening on the Bridge so that he can brief Mr. President appropriately. The Minister said work on the bridge had reached appreciable level and appealed to the communities around the impressive Second Niger Bridge project to bear with the Federal Government as power supply was going to be interrupted for two weeks to put finishing touches to the project, adding that adequate notice would be given ahead when that would be done. The Federal Controller of Works in Anambra State and the Engineer Representative of the 2nd Niger Bridge, Engineer Ajani Adeyemo said that the existing Niger Bridge was built in 1965 noting that it has remained the crucial East-West link over the years. However, due to age and excessive axle load and the heavy traffic congestion arising from the enhanced economic activities in the South-East and South-South transport corridors, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing initiated the second Niger Bridge which has attained 93 percent completion under the leadership of President Buhari. According to him, the bridge when completed would reduce the strain on the existing Niger Bridge, improve traffic flow, improve health, security and create opportunities for the host communities as well as Nigerians to improve their socio-economic activities. The highlight of the inspection visit was the historic walk of the Chief of Staff to Mr.President, the Honourable Ministers of Works and Housing, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity and others including senior journalists from various media houses from the Onitsha end to the Asaba side of the Bridge.   ...

Palliative Measures On Nigerian Roads Are Paying Off – Fashola ·    Says Rehabilitation, Construction works ongoing across the country as Ministry presents 2021 Ember Months, Post Rainy Season Palliative Works Report to Stakeholders ·      Minister urges truck drivers to desist from parking on road shoulders ·      NARTO, NURTW, other stakeholders commend FG as FRSC reports 9% reduction in accident rates during the period The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN has said the Federal Government's ember months palliative measures on fixing Nigerian roads are paying off. Fashola made the remark in Abuja during a performance review meeting of stakeholders on the 2021 Ember Months and Post Rainy Season Palliative Works on Nigerian Roads. Fashola said that the Ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) yearly undertake routine palliative repairs of federal roads across the country during the ember months and post rainy season to facilitate easy movement of travelers, motorists, goods and services. Fashola reiterated that different seasons bring different challenges and so the plan for every season is based on the report available and with such feedback things would be done better. “Seasons of the year bring different challenges, so what works for one season is not going to work for another season and we must remember this as public servants.  It is with plan we can make things better. Things don’t happen by accident, we can control how they happen with good planning,” he said. The Minister explained that ember months is not a period to toy with. It is a period when most things begin to happen naturally and based on that the roads become so busy which compels the Ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency to carry out palliative works on the roads to reduce accidents and other ugly incidents on the roads. “So, let’s remember what ember months is, it is months indicating clearly that the year is coming to an end.  And as the year ends certain things begin to happen naturally.  People still travel, there are a lot of social and religious gatherings and movements, people consume a lot more items than they normally consume and the roads will be busy,” he added. Fashola stated that with the ember months palliative measures on busy roads to ensure seamless travelling by the general public, accidents rate according to reports by the Federal Road Safety Commission reduced by 9% which is a positive development. “There is an indication that accidents rate has reduced with about 9% and that is a very positive thing, which means there were less deaths and loss of property,” he said. The Minister tasked every road user to be conscious of the fact that the road is a shared asset and can only last when used properly and no asset will last if it is abused.  He urged the truck drivers to avoid parking on road shoulders because it reduces its life span. He, however, stated that road palliatives are not the final answer but construction and rehabilitation and that the Ministry has repaired and constructed many roads and still doing more across the states of the Federation. The Minister charged contractors on Nigerian roads to use proper road signages at all the construction sites and to ensure that standards are not compromised. He warned that any contractor not complying with the standards must be sanctioned according to the law. In their remarks at the event,  the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) representative, Deputy Corps Marshal Operations, Kayode Fanola, the National President Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO),  Yusuf Lawal Othman and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) representative, Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Anthony Asogwa, commended the Ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency for the laudable achievements on roads maintenance palliatives across the country during the ember months as they helped curb accidents rate. Earlier, the Director Highways Construction and Rehabilitation in the Ministry, Engr. Folorunso Esan, made a detailed presentation on the various Highways across the country where the ember months and post rainy season palliative measures were carried out. Engr. Esan stated that the Federal Government released the needed funds to carry out the palliative works on the affected roads. The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Engr. Nuruddeen Rafindadi also corroborated the fact that the Federal Government provided the needed funds for the execution of the repair works on the affected roads.   ...