Senate summons Fashola over falling bridges

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The Senate on Wednesday invited the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, over recurring cases of bridges’ collapse in parts of the country.

The upper chamber specifically wanted Fashola to brief its committee on Works on plans for reconstruction of all Bailey bridges In the country.

This followed the adoption of a motion on “Recurring collapse of Bailey bridges nationwide” sponsored by Senator Gilbert Nnaji (Enugu East).

Following the adoption of the motion, the Senate mandated its Committee on Works to undertake an inventory of all Bailey bridges nationwide with particular attention to their years of construction and current status.

It called on the Federal Roads Maintenance Authority (FERMA) to urgently reconstruct the collapsed Bailey bridges across Ebenyi River at Ikem in Isi-Uzo local government area of Enugu State as well as other collapsed Bailey bridges across the country.

Nnaji in his lead debate noted that he is aware that Bailey bridges, developed and used during the Second World War, were built in Nigeria during the pre-independent era up to few years after the Nigerian civil war, to provide temporary crossing for foot and vehicle.

He noted that many of the bridges, made from pre-fabricated metal truss and installed in various parts of the country either cave in or collapsed due to age and pressure, thereby causing untold hardship to commuters, motorists and other road users.

Source: The Nation