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Seaport Work

Second River Niger Bridge and a Sea Port at Onitsha: Shall We Celebrate?

The River Niger Bridge connecting Asaba and Onitsha one side and the Western Nigeria with South-Eastern Nigeria, this bridge is strategically located between Asaba and Onitsha and was constructed by the nation’s former colonial masters, Britain in December 1965 at the cost of 5 million British pounds. The Bridge has obviously become old with frequent complaints by motorists and experts who believe that regular vehicular traffics and heavy duty trucks amongst others and indeed old age now causes the Bridge to become a trap. Most of the nuts and bolts used by the British colonial government cannot be found anywhere in the world because they have become obsolesced.

Frequent complaints from experts compelled the Federal Government to carry out some rehabilitation works on the bridge in 2005, but before now opinions have called for the construction of another bridge in what has become known as the second River Niger Bridge to avoid foreseen disasters that might befall motorists on the bridge. Much as the cry for the construction of second River Niger Bridge has persisted, the government of the country has turned deaf ears, stylishly making promises on awards of contracts for the construction of the second bridge. By now, every Nigerian has become inured to these pledges and promises which never get fulfilled. Claims and counter claims for the award of the contract have only become part of the national anthem of the nation recited by the nation's leaders either whenever an election is coming up or towards the end of their tenure.

Experts wonder why the government is finding it absolutely impossible to construct the bridge which will link Asaba with Owerri. Dredging the bridge has also become one promise we have become familiar with, anyone who turns on his radio is bound to hear of the dredging of this River but we never see it done. Observers maintain that the dredging of the river will enable easy passage of cargo ships and boats to the northern parts of the country and will indeed open up the South-Eastern region but our government never contemplates this to be so for the reason we cannot tell. We hear the government on December 1st 2008 signed a contract totaling 34.4 Billion Naira for the dredging of this river. Has work started? 

Looking at this region which is strategic to the country, one would have expected that the river be dredged, another bridge be constructed in addition to the existing one and a commercial seaport set-up. No one will ask for too much if he advocates that a seaport be built around this river Niger to make the people of South-East, Niger State and the core northern part of the country less dependent on Lagos ports. It is thoroughly impossible to believe that a nation which laments of congestion of ports in the nation and imposes so much duty and demurrage on its citizens as a decongestion policy cannot think of constructing another port in this region. If a port cannot be located here will it be located on a desert? We must ask ourselves this question.

With the Delta State Government constructing an International and cargo Airport in Asaba, which if completed will serve the commercial needs of the entire Igbo; it will also be wise if our government cogitate on constructing a sea port at the Onitsha end of the River Niger. We must not bury ourselves in cheap excuses because we know that with today’s technology in place, anything is achievable, as we have seen landlocked nations artificially create rivers.

It is not strictly an affair of the Igbo but a national project that will benefit the nation as a whole. This area is a vibrant one and should not be idle for reasons not obviously established. And if the British colonial government thought it wise to construct the only existing bridge in the area, why is it difficult to construct another for the Igbo. We tend to read a different meaning to it when we recall that uncountable numbers of bridges are found on one lagoon alone in Lagos, yet we cry for just one more bridge to added where we know it should imperatively exist. We know it as our right; we may be crying to have it in place where it should truly belong today, but one day, we there shall arise a true leader who will wish that true federalism with equality without regard to ethnic-nationalities be enthroned. We just might not bother ourselves any more as our rights will be restored, until then we shall continue to make our leaders see us as part of the federation of Nigeria and do to us what they have done in other places. Let there be second River Niger Bridge between Asaba and Onisha.                  

About the Author

Emeka Esogbue writes.

emekaesogbue@yahoo.com

Why is Obama pumping so much seamen into the relief effort?

The navy has floating hospitals, Seabees working on the seaport, hovercrafts bringing in supplies, and a long term shipping operation setting up. Why hasnt he tapped into the marine and armies similar capabilities? Why does he love seamen?

Does he expect us to swallow that

Seaport work che si da da fare