Fear gripped motorists on Monday as the retaining wall of the popular Airforce bridge that serves as a link to the Trans- Amadi Industrial area collapsed in the commercial city of Port Hacourt.
In a press briefing by all the Commissioners in Port Hacourt, the Commissioner for Works, Victor Giadom, Commissioner for Transport,George Tolufari, and Commissioner for Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari, the Rivers State government expressed regrets that there are no records of any contractual or legal agreement to prosecute Bulletine Nigeria Limited that constructed the bridge.
Mr Victor revealed that the construction of bridge was not supervised by the Ministry of Works but by “A Special Projects Bureau” directly in the Governor’s office under Peter Odili’s administration.
The ill-fated bridge was built by the former Governor, Peter Odili and commissioned twice by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006.
According to Mr Victor, the bridge was supposed to have a-20-year life span from the year it was commissioned for use.
Before the collapse, the bridge had shown signs of defect, which necessitated some remedial work on it and a partial closure of a section.
However, the government said that it had to cordon off the ill-fated bridge for safety reasons pending when proper repair work would be carried out.
Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps, Police and officers of Rivers State Transport Management Authority, (TIMARIV), have been deployed to alternative routes where motorists were diverted to.
