By Ebere Suzy
Importers Association of Nigeria on Monday lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for insisting on awarding the on-going 2nd Niger Bridge project to a competent indigenous construction company – Messrs Julius Berger Construction Company.
It would be recalled that President Jonathan on March 10 did the groundbreaking as well as operated a pile driver for the commencement of the much awaited project in Atani near Onitsha, Anambra.
The Chairman, Board of Trustee of the association, Chief Gilbert Obi, gave the commendation in Onitsha, Anambra yesterday.
Obi noted that with Mr President awarding the project to a tested and competent company, the minds of Nigerians were at rest that it would be delivered on time and in-line with specification adding that it shows that Nigeria have a listening President.
He said that the bridge when completed, it will re-invigorate economic and commercial activities in the country especially in the South-East and South-South zones.
“Again, Mr President had clearly wiped away the tears of a section of the country, who had already suffered some element of fraud over the same project flagged off for construction earlier some years back,’’ he said.
He, however, thanked prominent sons and daughters of the zones for making the project a reality especially former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Peter Obi and Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta.
Obi, who accidentally is the landlord of the area where the project is on-going at the Anambra end, appealed to the company to engage local youths.
“This would serve as a good social responsibility and create the needed impression of community ownership of the project. While hundreds of youths would be effectively kept out of the streets,’’ he said.
The dual carriageway bridge, designed to be 1,590m long, is scheduled to be completed in four years.
The construction of the bridge would cost N117.8 billion, while government was executing the project under a Public-Private-Partnership arrangement for a concession period of 25 years.
