Avoidable Catastrophe on Nigeria’s Niger Bridge
By Acho Orabuchi
Newsdiaryonline Sat July 16,2011
"I have never seen anything remotely like this before," –Lt..
Amelia Huffman, Minneapolis Police Dept.
"There was a very eerie silence right after the collapse. It was
5 to 10 minutes before I heard any sirens…" –Joe Costello
"I got out of my car and the first thing I heard was [were] the
kids screaming on the bus. I called 911. I didn't really know
what else I could do." – Flip Saunders
These were some of the sentiments and anguish expressed by the
eyewitnesses to the rush hour catastrophic collapse of an
eight-lane steel truss arch
I-35W
Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 1,
2007.
I remember vividly that day and the ensuing wall to wall
coverage of the accident by the television networks. With
advanced and efficient first responders in America, many
families still were devastated and the nation sympathized and
remembered them in its thoughts. Indeed, it was a sad day in the
US, particularly in Minnesota.
Sadly, the anguish could be quadrupled in the event that
Nigeria's Niger Bridge collapses —an inevitable collapse that
would reverberate around the country. The predictable
crumple is just a matter of time. Obviously, the calamity would
result in scores of luxurious
buses
and other numerous vehicles with their passengers being plunged
into River Niger —an avoidable reality. Indeed, there is a
technical report currently sitting with the Presidency warning
that the present Niger Bridge will collapse any moment from now.
This is alarming!
 In
fact, the associated human and economic costs of the
predictable, but avoidable calamity of the Niger Bridge are
enormous. Let me reiterate, undoubtedly, the human and economic
consequences resulting from Niger Bridge collapse would be
gargantuan—loss of lives and livelihood—creating colossal human
and financial burdens on families in the Southeast in
particular. About thousands of people would lose their lives or
be maimed for life leaving an indelible scare on their body,
mind, and soul; transportation industry in the affected areas
would grind to a halt, as well as loss of properties; goods and
services. Also, the financial institutions and insurance
industry would be gravely impacted resulting in uncontrollable
inflation, and general economic disruption and dislocation of
the affected regions that would cause massive economic
deterioration. The collapse would compound the utility loss and
costs associated with public reaction and replacement, which may
linger for generations.
Let us not forget that Niger Bridge is the only link by road
between Southeast and Delta, Old Midwest, and Old West. That
link will be broken causing enormous economic disruption and
dislocation for the entire South, particularly the entire Old
Eastern Region. Therefore, a mere possibility of the collapse of
the Niger Bridge should be a heightened concern to everyone,
particularly the federal government.
 It
should be the policy of the federal government to maintain and
rebuild Nigeria’s infrastructure for continuous economic and
human development. It is a sound domestic policy the
policymakers and economic advisers should honestly embrace. The
collapse of Niger Bridge will lead to the economic strangulation
of the Southeast thereby affecting industry and commerce in
Nigeria, among other sectors, with unmitigated lurk behind
severe unemployment and inflation. As a result, many past
administrations have promised to build the second Niger Bridge.
To build a lasting legacy, President Jonathan’s first 100 days
in office should witness the actual signing of the contract to
build the second Niger Bridge .
Mr. President, please commence work immediately on the second
Niger Bridge. Do not allow this inevitable catastrophe happen on
the current Niger Bridge. Don’t let it happen under your watch!
The people desperately need your leadership on this matter.
Please mobilize the National Assembly, Minister/Ministry of
Works, Minister/Ministry of Transportation, and critical
principals to action. The country has reached a critical mass
and the second Niger Bridge should be built without any further
delay. Many past administrations made a promise to build a
second Niger Bridge and dredge Niger River, but they failed the
people. Please Mr. President, rise to this occasion and act
without equivocation. Again, it is the moral obligation of the
federal government to rebuild and maintain its infrastructure
for economic viability, as well as economic growth of the
nation. Perhaps, the buoyant economic benefits of the
construction of the second Niger Bridge may spur a necessary
action on this critical and life-saving project.
 In
any case, I dread the inevitable; the grim outlook of loss of
human lives churns my stomach. I speculate that thousands of
people, including babies and women would lose their precious
lives in the event that Niger Bridge caves in. The despair that
would accompany such loss of lives, including physical injuries,
would be written indelibly on the faces of Nigerians,
particularly on the soul of people from the Southeast. It will
be a sad day for the nation. Perhaps the sadness should be deep
enough to emerge a rallying cause for Nigerians. I feel strongly
about the second Niger Bridge just like many other Nigerians.
This prompted me to contact
Gov.
Ikedi
Ohakim
recently who shared the same sentiments. In our conversation,
speaking in a soft, but confident voice, Dr.
Ikedi
Ohakim
assured me that he would take the matter to President
Goodluck
Jonathan.
Ohakim
further reiterated—with humility—that
infrastructural
development is critical to a nation’s economic growth. “ Niger
Bridge is the busiest link between the Southeast and Delta,
Edo,
and old western region with enormous economic impact,” he
opined. “I am assuring you, including Nigerians in the Diaspora
and home that I will take the second Niger Bridge matter to the
presidency and I believe he will listen,”
Ohakim
concluded.
Acho Orabuchi, Ph.D., an Opinion Writer/Commentator and
Analyst, lives in USA.
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