Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi has prohibited mounting of Check-points anywhere 200 metres the head of the 1st Niger Bridge.

The minister made the order on Wednesday when he lead a team of the ministry’s experts, including the Controller of Works, Anambra state, Emenike Chukwudi Timothy to inspect the ongoing maintenance work on the bridge.

Umahi appealed to the Inspector-general of police to give directive for compliance to the prohibition.

He also urged the governments of the two neighbouring states to the bridge which include Anambra and Delta to direct all their taskforces to comply with the prohibition in their operations.

Umahi warned that it is dangerous to create hold-up on the bridge.

Though the minister announced that the bridge would be opened for use next week, he, however, stated certain additional maintenance work that would be carried out on the bridge to ensure perfection of quality engineering work on the bridge.

Some of the review he announced included application of special paints on the infrastructure, changing of the rehabilitation of the 100 metres of roads to the bridge-head on the both sides to concrete pavements instead of asphalt, and, several others.

He, however , commended the quality of maintenance work done on the bridge and speed at which the contractors, SKECC applied in carrying out the maintenance work saying “they (contractors) have done beautiful work,” despite the rains.

Umahi, however, decried the activities of vandals on the bridge and announced that CCTV cameras would be installed to track any such criminal activity going forward.

He, also, urged governors of both Anambra and Delta state to be intentional about initiating security measures to checkmating vandalisation of the bridge infrastructure.

He particularly urged the two state governments to prohibit scrap-market arguing that the business encourage vandalisation of the bridge infrastructure.

He praised President Bola Tinubu for showing love to the people of the South East despite that he did not receive impressive votes from the zone in the 2023 general election.