By Austin Ogwuda
SOME of the rail fittings installed on the Second Niger bridge have been uprooted by unknown vandals, thereby turning the bridge into a death trap especially at night.
The discovery was made possible following viral video which started trending on the social media since yesterday (Monday).
The video was showing a man narrating how some rail fittings installed on the Second Niger bridge have been outrightly uprooted by suspected vandals.
In the video an unidentified man was heard saying, “This is the new bridge the Federal Government constructed for the good of the people but some vandals have uprooted and vandalised the railings that connect the bridge thereby subjecting unsuspecting drivers to danger, especially at night.
“There is no vehicle that will run into this ditch that will not be stuck, especially at night. Vandals have been uprooting the expensive railings and selling them, this is not good at all. Drivers should be aware when they are driving on the bridge at night. We don’t know who to complain this to”, he stated.
Recall that The Townhall wrote news analysis on the 8th of August this year highlighting the need for close surveillance when the same bridge was vandalised sometime ago.
That piece entitled: ‘Vandalization of the Second Niger Bridge: Matters Arising’ is hereby reproduced.
By Austin Ogwuda
Recently the Second Niger Bridge, although hurriedly commissioned but not totally completed, was vandalized.
Similar vandalization took place earlier at the popular Third Mainland bridge in Lagos.
Then came Thursday last week the Anambra State Commissioner of Police reportedly told newsmen that the vandalized portions of the bridge have been fixed.
He did not stop there. He went on to say that his men would be patrolling the bridge regularly.
And thirdly said the bridge was underutilized leaving room to the vulnerability of the bridge to be vandalized.
The Town Hall Media after examining the three points raised by the Anambra CP picked some holes.
One, he does not expect serious minded people to clap for him that he would be increasing patrol on the ‘lonely’ bridge because it is their responsibility and particularly the men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC whose primary responsibility is to secure critical government infrastructure.
That aside, the civil populace particularly those communities where the bridge transversed should be patriotic enough to raise alarm when necessary by passing vital information
to the security agencies.
Let us hear the Anambra State Police Commissioner, CP Aderemi Adeoye who led a team of policemen to the fixed portions of the bridges, “we have patrolled the entire length of the bridge repeatedly, to identify the vulnerable points.
“We have found out that the contractors, Julius Berger, supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works have carried out maintenance works on the vandalized portions of the bridge.
We owe a responsibility to the people to ensure that this infrastructure serves the people.
“We will ensure that the bridge is patrolled. As you can see, the bridge is underutilized, and that can defeat the aim of constructing it”, said the CP.
Point number two is that underutilization can’t be taken as justifiable excuse after all was the Third Mainland bridge not vandalized too.
Not only one, not two occasions.
Is it under-utilized too?
Another issue he failed to address is how many people have been arrested in connection with the vandalization.
Ghosts cannot but human beings and more worrisome is that for one to dismantle and cart away metals said to be removed requires some expertise.
The same thing with ‘NEPA’ transformer vandalization can a novice near there with which expertise?
Therefore it brings me to the next point – sabotage.
This reporter is not going to lay accusation he can’t prove scientifically but advise that diligent investigation be carried out to throw up some clues.
Was there a fierce competition in the bidding of the contract to construct the bridge?
What were the politics which erupted thereafter at the dying minute and who and who are wishing for the system to fail?
Mr CP and other various security agencies should please take note that it is time to smell the coffee and point your radars appropriately with a view to crack down on the real vandals to prevent reoccurrence.
Photo caption: showing the uprooted rail fittings as captured in the viral video.
Photo : Credit to Punch
