News
First Niger Bridge to Reopen Next Week as Anambra APC Salutes Tinubu, Umahi
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The First Niger Bridge, which was closed for maintenance three weeks ago, is expected to reopen to motorists next week.
The maintenance work, initially scheduled to be completed within two weeks, was extended by one week following more than a week of sustained rainfall in the area.
Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, who inspected the ongoing work at the bridge after the initial deadline and the subsequent one-week extension, said the bridge would officially reopen to motorists next week.
The announcement came as the Anambra State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Works for the rehabilitation and maintenance work on the bridge.
Umahi said the Tinubu administration had done considerably well for the South-East, adding that the administration’s projects in the region should be highlighted.
He said the bridge would be decorated with photographs of President Tinubu, while urging supporters of Peter Obi to identify projects the former Anambra governor had attracted to the South-East.
Umahi said: “Once we are done with work on this bridge, I want all the illegal adverts on this bridge removed. Anyone who wants to advertise should apply to the Ministry of Works. For now, the bridge will be decorated with the pictures of President Tinubu.
“The President has worked so hard and we need to reward his hard work by decorating this bridge with his pictures. I want to say to Ndigbo that we should not throw away our votes in 2027. In the last election, we did not vote for him so well, yet he is bringing projects to our region.
“I have a bragging right in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and I’m proud of him. I will be willing to show anyone who wants to know all that he has done. Peter Obi is our brother and we do not hate him, but we need to be realistic this time. I don’t care about people abusing me on social media; they should only tell us what Obi has attracted to the South-East.”
The minister also said security agencies would be asked to remove checkpoints located about 200 metres from the bridge, which he said contribute to traffic congestion and could affect the bridge.
“We will be here next week to open the bridge, and I want to say that we will write to the security chiefs to tell them that there would not be need for any checkpoint 200 metres to this bridge because it causes traffic on the bridge, which is not good for its health,” he said.
Umahi further said the Federal Government would write to the governors of Anambra and Delta states to closely monitor scrap activities around the bridge to prevent vandalism of public infrastructure.
He also banned dredging activities around the bridge, warning that such activities could compromise its structural integrity.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the progress of the rehabilitation work, which includes the installation of CCTV cameras and streetlights, removal and reconstruction of asphalt on the carriageway and walkways, replacement of expansion joints and bolts, among other works.
He said: “We thank the people for their patience. The bridge is not just healthier, but will last longer now and motorists will enjoy driving on it.
“We thank the governors of Anambra and Delta states for their commitment and support to the rehabilitation of the bridge. Anambra had to work with the Ministry of Works for the bypass, and we apologise for the inconveniences, but it was for their good.
“The bolts that were lost have been replaced. Expansion joints have been manufactured and flown in by air and replaced. The company has done beautiful work. We will, however, not be stampeded to open the bridge until the full structural works have been done.”
According to Umahi, additional work will include painting the kerbs and repainting all metal elements on the bridge.
He said the entrance and exit of the bridge would also be reconstructed with concrete.
“When we open the bridge next week, it will only be for one carriageway until after 21 days. Then we open it and work on the other side,” he said.
The Anambra State APC Chairman, Senator Emma Anosike, said the people of the state were grateful to President Tinubu for responding to the need for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the First Niger Bridge.
“We are grateful to President Bola Tinubu’s administration and to the Minister of Works, Senator Engr. Dave Umahi, for the good work being done at the bridge,” Anosike said.
He added that keeping promises was one of the indices by which governments were measured and trusted.
According to him, the people of Anambra had placed their trust in the Tinubu administration and were pleased with its intervention on the bridge.
He described the project as a boost for the APC in the South-East, particularly in Anambra State.
The Controller of Works in Anambra State, Engr. Timothy Emenike, who conducted the minister around the project site, commended Umahi for his commitment, hard work and energy, which he said had contributed to the progress of the rehabilitation work.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has ordered filling station operators nationwide to immediately inspect, calibrate and verify their fuel dispensing equipment following renewed concerns over the under-dispensing of petrol to motorists.
The directive is part of an intensified regulatory crackdown on filling stations accused of giving customers less petrol than the quantity displayed and paid for at the pump.
The NMDPRA said it had recorded cases of under-dispensing at retail outlets across the country and described the practice as a serious breach of consumer trust.
In an industry notice issued on Tuesday, the authority directed operators of retail outlets to ensure that their dispensers and totalisers were properly calibrated and functioning accurately.
The regulator warned that any filling station found to be deliberately or otherwise inaccurately dispensing petroleum products would be required to take immediate corrective measures.
It further cautioned that persistent or serious violations could attract sanctions, including the revocation of the affected outlet’s operating licence.
The latest directive follows a series of enforcement operations by the regulator during which several filling stations were shut for allegedly short-measuring customers.
About 20 filling stations were reportedly sealed by the NMDPRA between 2025 and 2026 over under-dispensing.
The development has also prompted petroleum marketers to step up efforts to ensure that customers receive the quantity of petrol for which they pay.
While some marketers have pointed to the conduct of pump attendants as a possible cause of the problem, others have attributed discrepancies to faulty or improperly calibrated dispensing equipment.
IPMAN reacts
Reacting to the NMDPRA directive, the Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said the association had communicated the regulator’s warning to its members across the country.
Ukadike said petroleum marketers operated in a competitive market in which the quality, price and quantity of products were important considerations for customers.
He stressed the need for filling station operators to maintain accurate dispensing equipment and ensure that motorists received the appropriate quantity of petrol for their money.
The NMDPRA said operators were expected to comply with the directive and take responsibility for ensuring that their dispensing systems remained accurate and properly calibrated.
A university undergraduate has died after floodwater swept the vehicle she was travelling in with her father into a drainage channel in Asaba, Delta State.
The incident occurred on Monday at Okotimi Layout, behind the Asaba Specialist Hospital, following heavy rainfall in the area.
According to reports, the victim and her father were travelling in a Toyota Corolla when floodwater reportedly overwhelmed the road and pushed the vehicle into a drainage channel.
The victim, who was seated in the front of the car, reportedly called for help before she was swept away by the floodwater. Her father was rescued and taken to a hospital for medical attention.
The Delta State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), under the Ministry of Bureau for Special Duties, subsequently commenced a search operation for the missing undergraduate.
Commissioner for the Bureau of Special Duties, Ejiro Terry Etacherure, said the agency engaged divers in the search, which continued for two days.
The search ended on Wednesday after boat operators around the Otogwu River axis of Anwai Road alerted SEMA to a floating body.
According to Etacherure, a family member was contacted and identified the body as that of the missing undergraduate. An ambulance from the Asaba Specialist Hospital subsequently conveyed the remains to the hospital morgue.
Meanwhile, residents have raised concerns over the condition of the drainage channel, saying the incident was not the first time vehicles had been swept into the canal during heavy rainfall.
An eyewitness said vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz GLK and a Lexus, had previously fallen into the same drainage channel.
Residents attributed the recurring incidents to inadequate drainage infrastructure and called on relevant authorities to urgently address the problem.
The deceased’s uncle, Andy Emephia, also appealed for attention to the drainage system, saying the family was devastated by the loss.
Residents have consequently called for urgent intervention to improve drainage infrastructure in the area and prevent further loss of lives and property during heavy rainfall.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — No fewer than four communities in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State — Mpu, Okpanku, Ndiabor and Oduma — have been ravaged by severe flooding, displacing residents and destroying houses, shops, rice mills, farmlands and other property worth millions of naira.
The flooding, which began on September 20, worsened on Tuesday and Wednesday, submerging parts of Afor Okpanku, Ivo Bridge and adjoining roads.
More than 10 houses reportedly collapsed on Wednesday, while rice, yam and cassava farms were washed away by the rising waters.
As of press time, residents were evacuating their families and belongings to safer locations as heavy rainfall continued in the area.
Screenshot
The councillor representing Mpu Ward, Hon. Edwin Ogbuka, described the situation as life-threatening, saying several houses and farmlands had been affected.
Ogbuka called for urgent government intervention and attributed the flooding to the overflow of water from the abandoned Ivo Dam project.
A community leader in Mpu, Mr Chukwu Magnus Dele, said six villages in the community had been affected, with displaced residents taking refuge at Amachalla Town School.
He appealed to the government and relevant emergency agencies to urgently provide relief materials and other assistance to the victims.
Similarly, the Youth Leader of Okpanku, Mr George Ahaefuna, described the disaster as unprecedented.
“Since I was born, I have never seen this kind of flood in my life. The flood has destroyed all we have laboured for this year.
“It has destroyed our crops, rice and yam farms worth millions of naira. I am appealing to the Federal Government, Enugu State Government, Aninri Local Government, NEMA and SEMA to come to our aid,” he said.
A shop owner at Afor Okpanku Market, Mrs Patricia Chukwu, said goods worth millions of naira had remained submerged for two days.
“This development is devastating. This is the worst flood that has affected Okpanku in my generation.
“If you go inside the villages, you will see houses destroyed by the flood. I urge the government, spirited individuals, the Senator representing Enugu West, the House of Representatives member, the local government chairman and the House of Assembly member to assist those whose houses were destroyed so they can rebuild and return home,” she said.
The flooding was still worsening as of press time, with rain continuing to fall and more buildings and farmlands coming under water.
Residents said Okpanku had experienced major flooding on previous occasions, with community accounts citing 1939, 1965 and 2026 as major flood years.
Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of Aninri Local Government Area, Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, expressed concern over the disaster, saying flooding occurs twice yearly in some parts of the area due to the uncompleted Ivo Dam project.
He said stakeholders were planning a joint visit to the Ivo Dam to assess the reservoir and explore possible repairs to prevent further flooding.
“I felt sad the moment I heard about the incident. Most communities in Aninri have been submerged by flooding, such as Okpanku, Mpu, Uhuezeoke in Ndiabor and parts of Ezineshi in Oduma.
“Crops, houses and businesses were destroyed. We are assessing the situation to know the level of damage this has caused,” he said.
Efforts to reach the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for their reactions were unsuccessful as of press time.
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) yesterday commenced the implementation of its South East Agro-Development Programme with the flag-off of a 200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze, Nkanu East, Enugu State.
Designed as a regional development intervention rather than simply a farming project, the initiative will integrate dairy, poultry, fisheries, fodder production, mechanisation, processing and practical agricultural training, while connecting surrounding smallholder farmers to inputs, technical support and markets through an out-grower programme.
The project reflects SEDC’s broader mandate to strengthen productive capacity and create sustainable economic opportunities across the South East, while aligning with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, agricultural productivity, mechanisation, value addition and job creation. The Nomeh facility will serve as a pilot for developing and replicating similar agricultural interventions across the five states of the region, with the broader objective of increasing food production, strengthening agricultural value chains and enabling more people to participate in modern agriculture.
This is a summary of what happened yesterday. They can rewrite it to gain traction according to their audience
IBADAN — Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has denied claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Federal Government provided ₦50 billion to the state for the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport, Ibadan.
Makinde made the denial on Tuesday while addressing supporters and stakeholders at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting in Katsina.
The governor said the Federal Government did not give either him or the Oyo State Government ₦50 billion for the airport project, insisting that the ongoing expansion and rehabilitation works were being financed entirely by the state.
“My attention was drawn to an interview granted yesterday by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, where he said that the President gave N50 billion to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan Airport to international standards,” Makinde said.
“I want to say that claim is false. The President did not give me or Oyo State N50 billion to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The Ibadan Airport upgrade project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the funds of Oyo State.”
Wike had made the ₦50 billion claim during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme on Monday, saying the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government had supported the Oyo airport project.
The disagreement centres on the source and nature of funding for the airport’s ongoing upgrade.
Public records from Oyo State indicate that the state had previously identified the Ibadan Airport expansion as one of the projects to be financed through its infrastructure funding plans. The state government has also said that its airport proposal received presidential approval without financial obligations being placed on the Federal Government.
However, the competing claims by Wike and Makinde have not, so far, been accompanied by publicly released financial documents conclusively establishing whether a ₦50 billion Federal Government allocation or transfer was made specifically for the airport project.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s emerging political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Makinde seeking the presidency on the APM platform while Wike remains a serving Federal Government minister.
Further clarification from the Federal Government, Oyo State Government, or relevant financial and aviation authorities could help establish the precise source and amount of funding committed to the Ibadan airport project.
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