By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The Federal Government has ordered security agencies to intensify surveillance patrols around the Second Niger Bridge and its surroundings.
The move is to checkmate further vandalism on the newly-constructed bridge located in the commercial town of Onitsha and its environs.
Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Mahmuda Mamman, disclosed this during the inspection of the bridge.
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The Federal Government had on July 12 raised the alarm that the N336 billion bridge was already being vandalised, barely one month after it was opened in May by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mamman said, “We came here purposely to see the level of vandalism and to also interface with the people and take the necessary measures to avoid recurrence.
According to him, “We have also interfaced with the contractor handling the project, Julius Berger, and I must say it is really unfortunate.
“We have, however, engaged and written to security agencies, asking them to intensify surveillance activities along the bridge so that this does not happen again.”
He maintained that the Second Niger Bridge is a key national infrastructure, with immense socio-economic benefits for the contiguous states and indeed the entire nation.
Mamman, who condemned the continued removal of some metal components from the bridge by vandals, harped on the need for the host communities to get involved as the protection of national assets could not be left to the security agencies alone.
