SECOND NIGER BRIDGE IS A FRAUD TO DECEIVE Ndi-Igbo.- Ngige
SECOND NIGER BRIDGE IS A FRAUD TO DECEIVE Ndi-Igbo.- Ngige
Radio Biafra London:
Senator Chris Ngige, representing Anambra Central Senatorial zone has described the construction of the second Niger Bridge by the federal government as a huge fraud meant to rip off the people of the South-East.
Ngige, who spoke during the inauguration of the Anambra State executives of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), said that he deliberately stayed away from the ground breaking ceremony of the bridge months ago for three reasons.
“The first is that the bridge is being built on a Public Private
Partnership(PPP) deal, with overseas financiers. For that reason, the
cost of the bridge suffered double inflation, both from the Nigeria end
and the financiers who alleged cost of fund.
“The bridge, which should have cost N70 billion is now to cost N114 billion, that was why I told the South-East Senate Caucus that I was not going to be a part of it. As a governor in this state, I resisted that arrangement from Mr Obasanjo.
“In the budget, we have similar bridges and same length built for free by the federal government. Why should that built for the South-East be toll gated? That bridge will have two toll gates, one in the Asaba end and one in the Onitsha end. Before you pass through it and come back, you would have spent N1,000, that is injustice. We will continue to fight to ensure that the bridge is not toll gated”, Ngige said.
Ngige said similar bridges across the country had been funded by the federal government, and wondered why that of the South-East should involve a PPP that would keep the people in bondage for full 25 years.
“The bridge, which should have cost N70 billion is now to cost N114 billion, that was why I told the South-East Senate Caucus that I was not going to be a part of it. As a governor in this state, I resisted that arrangement from Mr Obasanjo.
“In the budget, we have similar bridges and same length built for free by the federal government. Why should that built for the South-East be toll gated? That bridge will have two toll gates, one in the Asaba end and one in the Onitsha end. Before you pass through it and come back, you would have spent N1,000, that is injustice. We will continue to fight to ensure that the bridge is not toll gated”, Ngige said.
Ngige said similar bridges across the country had been funded by the federal government, and wondered why that of the South-East should involve a PPP that would keep the people in bondage for full 25 years.
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