Senator Ngwu worried further delay in the bridge reconstruction could worsen the already severe socioeconomic problems in the South-East region.
The Senate has called on the Federal Ministry of Works to commence the immediate reconstruction of the collapsed Enugu-Port Harcourt Bridge.
The call is consequent upon a motion co-sponsored by Senators Osita Ngwu (PDP, Enugu West) Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central), Kelvin Chukwu (LP, Enugu East), and Okechukwu Ezea (LP, Enugu North).
In his lead debate, Senator Ngwu recalled the tragic collapse of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway bridge on September 25 but noted that no human casualty was recorded.
He, however, worried that the collapse of the flyover bridge has become a nightmare for road users, and a threat to the socio-economic life of the people.
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The lawmaker also noted that the bridge served as a major link between the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway for commuters from Port Harcourt, Aba, Umuahia, and Abakaliki and also provided access to vehicular movement from the Onitsha-Enugu expressway.
He further stressed that any further delay in the reconstruction of the bridge could worsen the already severe socioeconomic problems facing not only Enugu State but also the entire South-East region.
In his contribution, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun West) said collapsed bridges had become a significant infrastructural concern in Nigeria, and emphasised the need to include projects of this sort in the 2024 budget in order to avoid infrastructure-related resolutions of the Senate from becoming ineffective.
Also, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (PDP, Kebbi North) urged Senators from Enugu State to present a thorough report on failed roads and collapsed bridge infrastructure in the state to the Senate ad-hoc committee on collapsed road infrastructure in order to be properly captured in the 2024 budget.
In the same vein, Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured that repairs would be made to the collapsed bridge, while substantial reconstruction would be funded.
Consequently, the Senate requested the Federal Government to provide the Ministry of Works with an urgent intervention budget for the repairs and maintenance of essential road infrastructure, in view of the forthcoming dry season.
