Members of the National Assembly from Rivers State have protested the state of Eleme-Akpajio bridge which is at the verge of imminent collapse.
The bridge which links Eleme Local government area to Port Harcourt and also links Rivers State to Akwa Ibom, Cross River and other states has suffered necglects and is yielding to pressure.
The senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the national assembly, Barry Mpigi, who led other lawmakers including the member representing Obio/Akpor federal constituency in the house of representatives, Kingsley Chinda, said they decided to protest in order to call the attention of relevant agencies to the imminent collapse of the bridge.
“We know that everything that Nigeria needs to benefit is with us here including the refinery, petrochemical industry and oil and gas free zone. It is like the people of Rivers State is being abandoned. This is a federal government road. The bridge is shaking and there is the tendency that any moment from now, the people from here will be cut off from the state” Mpigi said.
“One question we must ask is Are we really part of Nigeria or we are not part of Nigeria?”
He said the contract has been awarded for a very long time to RCC but they have failed to execute it, adding that the Vice-President, Yemi Osibanjo, had been to the area yet nothing has been done.
Mpigi said that about 2 billion naira was appropriated for the Ogoni-Akwa Ibom axis of the road but said the real appropriation for the bridge is not known.
O. K Chinda said they that they have protested at NASS over the treatment of their people, especially as it concerns the bridge whose importance cannot be overemphasised, adding that Eleme is the spine of the country industrially.
He urged the executive to expedite action and ensure that the bridge is taken care of to forestall incidents that would lead to loss of lives.
