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Construction of Abandoned Second River Niger Bridge will Begin Soon, Says Buhari Group
• Rallies support for president
By Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu
Enugu State chapter of the Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) yesterday appealed to Ndigbo to give maximum support to the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in its quest to better their lot.
The organisation specifically observed that the construction of the dilapidated federal roads in the South-east had effectively taken off, adding that very soon, the construction of the abandoned second Niger bridge will take of in earnest.
The appeal was contained in a statement by the group’s Publicity Secretary, Chibueze Eze.
In the statement titled: ‘Enugu BSO’s 2017 Goodwill Message to Ndigbo,’ Eze said: “President Buhari has so far lived up to his campaign promises to the people of South-east zone and is ready to do more if given support.
“We are witnesses to the truism that he neither hates Ndigbo nor is he going to Islamise Nigeria as advocated by some ethnic merchants.”
Eze applauded the Buhari administration for the progress made on the construction of South-east federal roads and the approval of additional N16billion by the Federal Executive Council to put the construction of the Second Niger Bridge on top gear. “We had wished that ex-president, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan had placed the 2nd Niger Bridge on direct federal contract like the Owete Bridge in Benue, instead of PPP model, this could have made the project cheaper and faster.” Eze quipped.
He explained that in just 24 months, the current Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration will achieve what its predecessors in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led federal government failed to do on the roads in the South-east region including Aba-Calabar, Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene, Owerri-Port Harcourt Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways in 16 years.
The statement read further: “For the first time in over 16 years, our people in the South-east are happy with the intensification of work along Enugu-Onitsha and other federal roads, which were dilapidated and in a state of disrepair for almost two decades.
“The rehabilitation work for instance on the Enugu-Onitsha road is being handled by RCC Limited, a reputable construction company in the country. One lane is now fully functional while work has seriously progressed on the other lane.
“Quite unlike in the past when scores of lives were lost in road accidents on that road every Christmas, there was not even one report of accident or carnage along Enugu-Onitsha expressway this Christmas. It was the same story along Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway. Our people had a smoother ride home for Christmas this year, instead of the bumpy ride they had in the past,” he said.
Eze described the progress made on the roads so far as “part of the fulfillment of electoral promises made to the South-east by President Buhari.
“President Buhari is now putting it in practical terms. It is no longer promises alone. “Therefore, we urge Ndigbo to use the New Year for stocktaking. They should compare and contrast between what they experienced in the 16 years of PDP, a party they gave 100 percent support and the 20 months of the Buhari administration”
Eze noted: “It is high time Ndigbo count our teeth with our tongues and abandon those ethnic merchants and religious bigots who preach hate only for their selfish interest. These were the few who became millionaires when millions were impoverished. They never remembered the federal roads in the South-east when our dear brother Senator Anyim Pius Anyim was Secretary to Government of the Federation, when our dear sister Dr Ngozi Ökonjo-Iweala was Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, when we had Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker etc.”
He urged the people of South-east to have hope in the government as it will in the fullness of time definitely fulfill all promises made to the people of the zone.
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