Umahi apologises to Tinubu, Lagos residents over unexpected bridge closure

Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works, has issued an apology to Lagos residents and President Bola Tinubu following the unforeseen closure of the Independence Bridge. Umahi made the statement during his visit to the bridge site in Lagos on Thursday.

The Minister explained that the closure was necessary for urgent repairs to the collapsed return wall, a decision that was made without his prior knowledge or approval by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos.

He said: “Unfortunately, I was not informed when the bridge was to be closed. The controller acted independently, and it is regrettable, as the tradition in such matters, especially in Lagos, is for the Minister to be notified. We should have assessed the full impact of the closure, even though it was an emergency situation. We would have conducted an emergency evaluation to understand if there were other measures we could have taken and why it took so long to address the issue properly.”

Umahi also emphasized that strict disciplinary action would be taken against the controllers and engineers involved if such an incident were to occur again.

“I want to take this opportunity to caution all controllers and engineers across the nation: Never close any road or bridge without consulting the permanent secretary, who will, in turn, seek approval from the Honorable Minister of Works,” he added.

The Minister recognized the efforts of the Lagos State Government, which helped alleviate traffic congestion during the closure.

“I take full responsibility for this, even though I didn’t authorize it. However, any actions carried out by any staff or department within the Ministry of Works are my responsibility,” Umahi stated.

He also pointed out that the disruption, which led to significant traffic delays, could have been avoided.

“If we had handled it differently, we could have used another method that wouldn’t have required a full closure,” Umahi said. “If closure was absolutely necessary, we could have limited it to three days – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – and implemented remedial measures.”

Umahi outlined plans for immediate restoration, stating, “We are working to temporarily restore the bridge in the next three days, and it will be fully open by Sunday.” He further explained that a more permanent solution would be implemented after a two-week assessment.

“After two weeks, we will review the situation and take another three days to install a permanent structure,” he added.

Umahi also expressed confidence in the competence of the contractor, Build Well, praising the company for its expertise in bridge restoration.

“Build Well is a well-respected company, known for restoring bridges, some of which are over 50 years old. They’ve worked on several bridges in Lagos, including Eko Bridge, Marina Bridge, and the Lagos-Ibadan Bridge,” he said.

The Minister confirmed that the bridge’s design would be altered to address the current emergency situation.

“We’ve discussed varying the design to accommodate the situation on the ground, and the contractor is fully on board,” he explained.

Umahi reassured the public that he would personally oversee the restoration work, vowing, “I will not leave until the bridge is fully restored by Sunday. We will work around the clock to ensure its completion and then evaluate the situation.”

PlatinumPost reports that the bridge was originally closed on April 1 for essential maintenance and rehabilitation, with the repairs expected to be completed by May.