The Senate has invited the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola, over recurring cases of collapse bridges in some
parts of the country.
The upper chamber specifically wants Fashola to brief its committee
on Works on plans for reconstruction of all Bailey bridges in across
the country.
This followed the adoption of a motion on “Recurring collapse of
Bailey bridges nationwide” sponsored by Senator Gilbert Nnaji
(PDP,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.
The Senate 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.
In his lead debate Nnaji said he was 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.