The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday reopened the First Niger Bridge linking Onitsha, Anambra State, with Asaba, Delta State, following rehabilitation works, with photographs of President Bola Tinubu and other political figures displayed on the bridge.
The bridge, built in 1965, was closed to traffic on September 7, 2026, for emergency rehabilitation and maintenance initially scheduled to end on September 21.
The closure was extended beyond the original deadline following persistent rainfall and other unforeseen circumstances that delayed the work.
The rehabilitation followed the discovery of vandalised structural components, including steelwork around the bridge’s expansion joints.
At the reopening, Umahi praised Tinubu’s administration for what he described as its commitment to infrastructure development in the South-East and South-South regions.
He said the attention being given to the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos was similar to the rehabilitation and maintenance work being carried out on the Second Niger Bridge and other major bridges across the country.
According to the minister, the South-East and South-South would also benefit from the administration’s infrastructure projects.
Umahi, who intermittently sang “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand” during his address, also criticised Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Obidient Movement, while expressing confidence in the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I am not into regional politics; I am following who is performing. Can anybody give us the alternative to Tinubu, President Tinubu, who has salvaged the country from a catastrophic situation? Can Peter Obi do what Tinubu is doing?” he asked.
He said the projects being executed by the Federal Government would soon be extended to other parts of Anambra State.
“The President has approved the dualisation of Oba-Okigwe Expressway. Why are people not seeing all these? Democracy is about development and infrastructure. We are here to demonstrate that the South-East is for President Tinubu,” Umahi said.
The minister acknowledged that the South-East had not voted massively for Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, attributing the outcome to what he described as the poor treatment of the region under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He, however, expressed confidence that the region would support Tinubu in 2027.
Umahi also said no individual or group had the right to erect billboards on federal highways without the necessary authorisation.
“No one has the right to put billboards on the federal highways. Tell Peter Obi and the Obidient Movement that if they pay, they will be allowed to put their billboards on the highways,” he said.
The bridge reopening was marked by the display of photographs of Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, alongside APC banners placed on the bridge railings.
Some sections of the railings had been repainted, while painters were still carrying out finishing touches. The road markings had also been repainted, and closed-circuit television cameras installed at various sections of the bridge, alongside other infrastructure components.
Umahi had, during an earlier inspection, directed that illegal advertisements be removed from the bridge and that Tinubu’s photographs be displayed following completion of the rehabilitation.
He had said the display was intended to recognise what he described as the President’s contributions to infrastructure development in the South-East.
