Following the claims by Mr. Tolu Ogunlesi, a special assistant to the president on digital and new media, that the south-east governors agreed to name the new bridge after the president, efforts to confirm the claim amongst the governors have failed. None of them has commented as at press time or issued any statement to that claim by the presidential aide.
Ogunlesi had claimed as follows; “Following consultations, the governors of the south-east have agreed that the Second Niger Bridge shall be named the Muhammadu Buhari Second Niger Bridge.”
However, the Bridge was officialy commissioned today, May 23, 2023 by President Muhammadu Buahri.
On December 15, 2022, the federal government opened the Second Niger Bridge for use, in order to ease traffic in the south-east during the festive season.
The bridge opened for one month during the yuletide and was later closed to traffic on January 15, 2023, for the completion of the Loko-Oweto Bridge and link roads between Benue and Nasarawa states.
On May 15, the bridge was fully opened to motorists, while some finishing touches like lane markings were ongoing.
In a statement on Monday, Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesperson, said Buhari is expected to commission seven legacy projects, including the Second Niger Bridge, on Tuesday.
Whereas the actual bridge distance is 1.6km long, access roads value culminated to 11kms.
Also just as another presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, special assistant on digital communication to Buhari, on Tuesday, claimed again that “The name is now being officiated. Thank God for our brand new Muhammadu Buhari bridge. Thank you, President Muhammadu Buhari,” many Nigerians see the comments by presidential aides as an embarrassment on the collective intelligence of not only the South Easterners, but their respected governors who have credible means of communications to say anything they deemed fit to Nigerians.
