South East Governors confirm 2nd Niger Bridge project ongoing, reject police report on Ekweremadu residence issue

The South East Governors Forum (SEGF) has appealed to the Federal Government to assist their region by ensuring that the second Niger Bridge is completed, point to their acknowledgment that the project, which many from the region have been denying, is actually ongoing.

They also rejected the police report which indicated that the security incident at the residence of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, was a burglary and not an assassination attempt.

The governors made these known on Wednesday through the Director General of the SEGF, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya who addressed a press conference in Enugu.

“The forum calls on the Police and other security agencies to undertake thorough investigation and bring the culprits to book. We reject the hasty conclusion that the attack was a case of burglary, otherwise, the so-called “’burglars’’ would not have insisted on the Deputy President’s son taking them to his father’s bedroom. The careful and methodical execution of the plot points to something more sinister than burglary,” he said.

While condemning “the attempted assassination of His Excellency, Senator Ike Eweremadu,” he said “his attempted assassination, no doubt, casts a dark shadow on the state of security of lives and property in Nigeria.”

Also, the governors berated the federal government for abandoning the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and the second Niger Bridge projects.

“We want to use this opportunity to once again call on the Federal Government to come to the aid of the South East and deal with the infrastructural decay at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

“We restate that the airport is not safe as there are no runway lights, the tarmac is bumpy with potholes, while one of the buildings destroyed by storm for over two years has become an eyesore. The cargo section of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is not functional.

“It is, indeed, a shame that a whole region as economically robust as South East does not have an airport that can land all categories of aircraft. The Federal Government should please come to our aid by making the airport more functional.

“We are aware that the Governor of Enugu State His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has taken up the challenge of helping to fix Akanu Ibiam International Airport, but we know also that the burden is too heavy for a state government. That is why we are calling on the Federal Government to come to our aid.

“We also want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government to take the issue of Second Niger Bridge seriously. The Niger Bridge is arguably the gateway to the Eastern part of this country with business hubs of Onitsha, Nnewi and Aba, amongst others.

“We note with concern that the second Niger Bridge has become a political chess board in the hands of politicians seeking Igbo votes.

“We have become aware that it was only in July, 2018, that the contract for the second Niger Bridge project was signed, in spite of the fact that the first foundation laying ceremony was undertaken in 2013. We pray that this will not be another lip-service to the realization of second Niger Bridge.

“We earnestly appeal to the Federal Government to assist the South East region by ensuring that the second Niger Bridge is completed,” he said.