Nigeria’s minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says over N3.8bn is being spent on the renovation of four bridges. These facilities, according to him, were damaged by vandals and petrol tankers across the country.
Fashola said this at a Town Hall Meeting on Protection of Public Infrastructure held in Abuja on Monday. Also in attendance was the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the minister for transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and many others.
The discussion centred on worsening destruction of critical infrastructure. Speaking on the panel, Fashola noted that N203 million was being used to repair Otedola bridge in Lagos, which was damaged by fire caused by petrol laden tanker.
“Tamburawa, illegal mining activities that destroyed these bridges. So starting with the bridge and in all of this, government has to respond. So, the first one, the cost of repairs was 203 million million, and the second one was 605 million.”
He said Kara bridge also damaged by fire from petrol-laden tankers, was being repaired with N605 million, while Tamburawa bridge in Kano which was damaged by illegal mining activities was also being repaired with N1.8 billion.
The minister also disclosed that over N200 million contracts had been awarded for the repair of airport linked bridge in Lagos also destroyed by petrol laden tankers.
Besides the four bridges, the minister said N813.5 million was being used for the reconstruction of three bridges damaged by insurgents in Borno and Gombe states. According to the minister, the damages were regrettable because they were consuming the limited resources that could have been used to tackle other nagging issues facing the nation.
