Few days to the end of his administration, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday inaugurated the Second Niger bridge, completed by his administration.
At the commissioning and handover of the bridge today, it was officially named as Muhammadu Buhari Second Niger Bridge.
The president also inaugurated and handed over the Federal Secretariat Complex Awka, Anambra State.
The secretariat project named after the first Nigerian female Engineer and Head of Service, Engineer Ebele Ofunneamaka Okeke, is located at plot S/6, Executive Business District Layout, Awka, Awka South Local Government Area, and situated on 5.106 hectares of land.
It was awarded to Cosco Investment Nigeria Limited on 9th December, 2011 at initial contract sum of N2,561,268,866.56, and later revised to N3,617, 863,070.29 in August 2020.
The new secretariat complex has facilities such as 498 office spaces, exhibition hall, banking hall, post office, reception, conference hall, 4 committee rooms, and 300 parking spaces.
It also has lift facilities, standby power generating set, solar power supply, well lay out parking spaces and drainages, staff canteen, solar lights, fire hydrant, among others.
In his remarks, President Buhari who joined the event virtually, described them as symbol of the efforts and commitment of his administration to renew, upgrade and expand development infrastructure, reduce cost of governance and improve service delivery.
He expressed delight at being able to provide developmental services as part of his efforts to upgrade and renew Nigeria’s infrastructure, stressing that it is used to combat poverty and promote economic growth for the people.
“Getting out of poverty is much more difficult without infrastructure investment!
“This reflects our administration’s emphasis on the well-being of the people.
“The second Niger Bridge is now a reality, and it will provide business efficiency and service in a timely manner.
“It is my distinct honor to open the bridge to the public.” This is an example of the long-term change that we promised,” President Buhari said.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who thanked President Buhari for the support to render services to Nigerians, said project will help in achieving sustainable development.
Fashola stated that the bridge’s unveiling connects every part of Nigeria, which he described as a story of development.
He said; “The Mohammed Buhari 2nd Niger Bridge is a story about how Buhari’s policies meet people where they are, how travel time has been reduced by half, and how multi-dimensional poverty has been pushed back.”
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige who commissioned the project, said the project is part of government’s efforts at ensuring safe and conducive environment for federal civil servants.
He reminded the workers that to whom much is given, much is expected, urging them to be diligent and dedicated in their duties.
Ngige further charged the workers to imbibe maintenance culture to ensure that the facility lasts.
The managing director and Chief executive Officer of COSCO Nigeria investment limited, the contracting firm that handled the Anambra secretariat complex, Chief Cosmas Agagbo, said quality was their watchword in executing the project.
He noted that the project had lasted for many years before the handover, evident to the quality of work done, but tasked the government to ensure that the facility is maintained.