This must be the news nobody from the South East or South South Nigeria would want to hear. The agitation for the construction of the second Niger bridge has been on for ages. At a stage it was even seen as a political instrument to hold the old Eastern region down and subdued.
Decades after the first bridge was constructed, it became obvious that successive administrations in the country should have commenced the construction of a second bridge across the river, owing to the threat the existing bridge posed to Nigerians, travelling to the South-East and South-South parts of the country.
Decades after the first bridge was constructed, it became obvious that successive administrations in the country should have commenced the construction of a second bridge across the river, owing to the threat the existing bridge posed to Nigerians, travelling to the South-East and South-South parts of the country.
A few weeks ago the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the person of Dr. Goodluck Ebere Jonathan Flagged off the commencement of the construction work at the site of the new bridge, nearly four years after he promised he will do so during his presidential election campaign in 2011. The people of the South East and South South Nigeria could not be any happier to see the dream of a second Niger bridge becoming a reality.
But hang-on, It is not yet uhuru. Information reaching us a few hours ago has it that the Nigerian Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, has ordered that the project be stopped due to what she described as environmental concern. Admittedly, yesterday the Minister claimed that the Federal Government erred in commencing work on the construction of the Second Niger Bridge without consideration for the Environmental Impact Assessment Law, EIA. Government, according to her, failed to comply with the requirements of the EIA law in embarking on the project. The ministry has consequently stopped work on the project. The minister told a Turkish delegation during a courtesy call on her that the bridge construction had to be suspended because “ they did not comply with our ministry’s rule.”
Could you imagine that a project of this nature with such enormous National interest could be approved and work commenced without all the necessary assessments and feasibility study done to the latter. The Environmental Impact Assessment is a formal process used to predict the environmental consequences (positive or negative) of a plan, policy, programme, or project prior to implementation. Environmental impact assessment here is a very very important assessment that must be considered before such a gigantic adjustments and interference are made on such a massive water body. The EIA proposes measures to adjust impacts to acceptable levels or to investigate new technological solution. Although the EIA law can lead to difficult economic decisions, strong political and social commitments, it protects environment with sound basis for effective and sustainable development.
Ordinarily, one would expect that the assessments like the EIA be one of the earliest to be carried out and the impact studied with costs built in the project sum, while some of the negative impacts will be looked into and remedies proffered before or after the project has started as the case may be.
Lets hope that this project will not be another white elephant project designed to con the people of South East and South South Nigeria of their VOTES come 2015 general election.
Could you imagine that a project of this nature with such enormous National interest could be approved and work commenced without all the necessary assessments and feasibility study done to the latter. The Environmental Impact Assessment is a formal process used to predict the environmental consequences (positive or negative) of a plan, policy, programme, or project prior to implementation. Environmental impact assessment here is a very very important assessment that must be considered before such a gigantic adjustments and interference are made on such a massive water body. The EIA proposes measures to adjust impacts to acceptable levels or to investigate new technological solution. Although the EIA law can lead to difficult economic decisions, strong political and social commitments, it protects environment with sound basis for effective and sustainable development.
Ordinarily, one would expect that the assessments like the EIA be one of the earliest to be carried out and the impact studied with costs built in the project sum, while some of the negative impacts will be looked into and remedies proffered before or after the project has started as the case may be.
Lets hope that this project will not be another white elephant project designed to con the people of South East and South South Nigeria of their VOTES come 2015 general election.
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