The Enugu State Government has stated that one lane of the collapsed Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway bridge will be open again by December 24.
Gerald Otiji, the state commissioner for works, revealed this to reporters during the Friday State Executive Council meeting at Government House, Enugu.
On November 9, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah declared that the Federal Government would start rebuilding the fallen bridge.
Mbah stated that in order to make sure the bridge was operational within the next ten days, palliative work will be done on the one lane that was still intact before reconstruction got underway.
Speaking, Otiji stated that the Federal Ministry of Work is working with the State of Enugu to restore the Artisan Cattle Market Bridge.
“With this, we can direct all the trucks to ply the road instead of coming into the state capital.
“We are also having a traffic management team that will help to control traffic in the state,” he said.
Regarding water supply, the commissioner asked the people of Enugu to have patience with the government, promising that every effort would be made to get water back to their faucets.
Otiji apologized for any inconveniences the burst pipe may have caused the homeowners and attributed the stoppage in water reticulation to damage and broken pipes.
He clarified that the pipelines being dug up were installed almost fifty years ago by Dr. Michael Okpara, the Premier of the South-East region.
Otiji encouraged the people of the state to report any water leaks to the Ministry of Water Resources, but he also requested them to show gratitude for their efforts.
Burst pipes, according to Commissioner for Information and Communication Eze Aka, were a sign that the area needed maintenance and that they needed to replace the existing pipes.
“The work is ongoing and we want people to know that government is on it,” Aka said.
Regarding transportation, Mr. Obi Ozo, the Enugu State Commissioner for Transport, clarified that cooperative efforts were made by the relevant agencies to provide effective and efficient traffic management in the state over the Christmas season.
He stated that an interministerial committee comprising all pertinent parties had been established by the ministry.
To handle the traffic, they comprise the police, army, federal road safety corps, local government chairmen in various council regions, and the Enugu State Traffic Management Agency.
Speaking on agriculture, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agroindustrialization, Mr Patrick Uburu, said the state had a robust State Agricultural Roadmap intended to ensure food security and stimulate economic growth.
According to him, the policy will create jobs, and redirect strategies on empowering farmers and stakeholders to reduce poverty and promote sustainable agriculture in the state.
He added that the four-year policy would take the state from 2023 to 2027.
(NAN)
