The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has criticized the Federal Ministry of Works Controller for Lagos State, Olukorede Kesha, for closing the Independence Bridge with out prior approval, stating that such choices require ministerial clearance.
He disclosed this on Thursday whereas talking to newsmen in Lagos, as captured by Information Central Tv Channel, in response to the gridlock skilled on Wednesday following the bridge’s closure for rehabilitation works.
Umahi defined that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was displeased with the extreme visitors congestion and directed him to intervene.
Whereas acknowledging the necessity for pressing repairs to the collapsed return wall of the bridge, he faulted the way during which the closure was executed, stressing that it brought on pointless hardship for commuters.
“The subject material, which is to rehabilitate the already collapsed return wall of the Independence Bridge, was crucial. And so we seemed on the structural issues – I’m conscious of it, we designed the rehabilitation, however sadly, when the bridge was to be closed, I used to be not knowledgeable.
“The Federal Ministry of Works Controller for Lagos State did that on her personal, and it is rather unlucky as a result of for a bridge to be closed, particularly in Lagos, it has been the custom that I needs to be knowledgeable because the Minister. We also needs to have studied the implications of it. Though it’s an emergency scenario, we’d have deployed an emergency analysis of the implications of closing the bridge,” Umahi stated.
The Federal Minister of Works recommended the Lagos State Authorities for its efforts in redirecting visitors to alleviate the congestion attributable to the bridge closure.
“So, I take advantage of this chance to warn all controllers and engineers throughout the nation: by no means shut any highway or bridge with out working it via the Everlasting Secretary, who will search permission from the Honourable Minister of Works. There will likely be penalties and disciplinary actions for this,” Umahi added.
Umahi additionally apologized to Lagosians and President Tinubu for the inconvenience attributable to the bridge closure, assuring that measures could be put in place to stop such occurrences sooner or later.
On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Lagos skilled a extreme visitors gridlock as commuters handled the aftermath of the Independence Bridge (Marina-bound) closure, which started the day earlier than, on April 1.
Sanwo-Olu additionally revealed that the contract for the bridge’s rehabilitation had been in place for 3 years, however the contractor had not discovered the correct time to hold out the mission. He apologized for the inconvenience brought on, explaining that the closure was important to handle vital structural points with the bridge.
