By Festus Ahon & Vincent Ujumadu

ASABA—MINISTER of Power, Work and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, yesterday restated Federal Government’s determination to continue the second Niger Bridge project.

Fashola who spoke in Asaba when he visited the project site to ascertain the level of work done, said the President MohaMuhammadu Buhari led government would continue and give priority attention to the second Niger bridge.

2nd-Niger-Bridge

The minister who was accompanied by the Project Coordinator, Mr. HD Bley JBN and other experts, said one of the major reasons of his visit to the state was to pay homage to the host communities in Delta and Anambra hosting the project.

Fashola who visited the Asagba of Asaba, sought the cooperation of the two states towards the actualization of the proposed second Niger Bridge, noting that the project, an extension of the 1st Niger Bridge that connects the East and Western part of the country,  was of great importance to the federal government.

Stressing that the 2nd Niger Bridge is a national asset, he said “as parts of the mandate of the Federal Government, President Buhari wants me to facilitate the completion of the Project. We are mindful of compensation. If there is peace, compensations will come, we can be building while compensations issues are going on and will be sorted out accordingly. All the Federal Government wanted is full cooperation from host communities so that workers can go back to site to make the project achievable.”

Speaking at the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, state Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro pledged the cooperation of the state government towards the completion of 2nd Niger Bridge project.

Receiving the minister, the Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozie, commended the Federal government decision to continue with the project.