Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Chris Ngige has said the construction of the Second Niger Bridge has reached 80 per cent completion.
The minister made the disclosure while speaking as a guest on Channels Television Programme’ Political Paradigm’ on Tuesday.
Ngige, a former governor of Anambra state, named the multi-billion naira bridge among the five legacy projects President Muhammadu Buhari administration gave to the country.
While speaking, he maintained that other legacy projects of the current administration include Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin-Kaduna road, East-West Road, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road and the Mambilla Projects.
“When President Buhari came in 2015, I campaigned with him all over the South-East zone and even beyond as the zonal campaign coordinator, from Abakiliki to Aba, Akwa Ibom, Uyo, Awka and Enugu. In these places, we talked about the Second Niger Bridge.
“That bridge has been built. It is now at 80 per cent completion. Before, it was being built by Public-Private Partnership (PPP), but now, it is being built from the Sovereign Wealth Fund as one of the five legacy projects that this President is leaving for the country.
“The Southeasterners have seen that the Second Niger Bridge is being done. He (Buhari) has completed the Zik’s Mausoleum. Many Nigerians don’t even know that President Buhari is a Zikist. I know because we had visited Zik’s son, Chukwuma (now late), who was his friend. We visited that tomb before he was elected President.”
Reacting to why marginalization still thrives in the South-East geo-political zone, the minister noted that the people of the zone love appointments and felt that the President failed to recognize them in that area.
He explained that the President felt he could empower the region by giving them fertilizer plants in Ebonyi State, extending credit and grants to farmers in Ebonyi, Imo, and farming areas of Anambra State.
However, he said, “these are people who love appointments. They know, and I say it to them. We have seen presidents appoint people from their zones or even other zones for a four-year term. They come and go. We had plenty of appointments during the Obasanjo and Jonathan administrations. When I say it, some people are not happy.
“For example, the Enugu Airport has suffered dilapidation over the years, but we had four Aviation ministers, namely, Kema Chikwe, Fidelia Njeze, Osita Chidoka and Stella Oduah. How come that airport remained dilapidated while they were in office? The tarmac was pronounced as the worst in the whole of Nigeria by an Ethiopian Pilot who flew us one day.
“But a Hadi Sirika from Katsina State discussed with the president and some of us in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the president brought N10 billion special fund and renovated the airport, giving us a new tarmac, rated as one of the best in Nigeria, if not Africa.”
