Umahi Orders Tinubu’s Pictures on First Niger Bridge

• Works Minister David Umahi has ordered that President Bola Tinubu’s pictures be displayed on the First Niger Bridge after its ongoing rehabilitation is completed.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has directed that President Bola Tinubu’s pictures be displayed on the First Niger Bridge linking Anambra and Delta states.

Umahi gave the directive on Wednesday during an inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation of the bridge at the Onitsha end in Anambra State.

He said the South-East and South-South Senior Special Assistants to the President should beautify and colour the bridge with Tinubu’s pictures, saying the President deserved to be appreciated for his intervention in the rehabilitation project.

“But in the meantime, the South-South and South-East SSAs to Mr. President, they have to fertilize the bridge. They’ll beautify, they’ll color it with the President’s pictures.

“Because the President deserves to be appreciated, you know, by the quick intervention and the quality of work that the President is doing in this place,” Umahi said.

The minister also ordered the removal of all illegal advertisements on the bridge, stressing that anyone seeking to advertise on it must first obtain approval from the Ministry of Works.

“And all illegal advertisement on the bridge, be removed. If anybody wants to advertise for anything, has to apply to Ministry of Works,” he said.

Umahi further disclosed that additional solar lights would be installed on the bridge and ordered the completion of the closed-circuit television cameras.

“He has now instructed that additional solar light should be done, and the CCTV should be completed, and the link to the Second Niger Bridge, immediately,” he said.

The minister also said he had constituted a committee to assess the condition of the bridge both above and below the water level.

“And I’ve also set up a committee to go and do empirical evaluation of what is happening below the water level and above the water level under this bridge, and they will report to me before the end of work tomorrow,” he added.

The First Niger Bridge, which connects Onitsha in Anambra State with Asaba in Delta State, is currently undergoing rehabilitation following the vandalism of some of its structural components.

Umahi had earlier said the bridge would not be reopened until the rehabilitation work was completed, citing the need to ensure its safety before it is returned to full use.