From Ngozi Nwatu in Aba
Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti has commenced the construction of a new pedestrian bridge in front of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic Aba.
The pedestrian bridge will replace the old bridge which has started developing structural defects and poses a lot of difficulty for students and school management to use freely.
According to the site engineer, Engr. Thanos from Craneburg Construction Company, while speaking with reporters, he said the design of the new Pedestrian Bridge is a surprise and one that will beat most pedestrian bridges in this part of the country.
He said: “It’s a surprise, you wait and see. I promise you that you have not seen this type in this part of Nigeria, not even in Imo State, the design is very beautiful that is why we are keeping it a surprise. Everyone will love it”.
He further stated that given the rainy season, the bridge is expected to be ready within two or three months and promised that the highest standard of civil engineering feet will be used in the project.
“Hopefully it will not take long, you know this is the rainy season, we don’t know what to expect but if everything goes well, like a maximum of two months and three months we will be done”.
On his part, the Rector of the Institution, Dr. Christopher Okoro thanked the governor for deeming it fit to commence the project which has been a nightmare for staff and students of the campus.
He said the old which was decommissioned for years was brought to use last year after some palliative work was done on it to make it passable for students.
He said the new bridge which be a concrete and an ultra-morden will aide in the easy passage of staffs, students and residents of Aba across the ever busy Aba-Owerri road.
“We cannot thank our Governor, Dr. Alex Otti ,OFR, for this project and the relief he has brought to the institution and Abia State in general because it’s not only staff and students of the institution that will use the bridge.
“It will go a long way to ease the much suffering experience by users of the old bridge as it is structurally not strong and the esthetic is also not pleasing to the eyes.
“Just yesterday, the governor commissioned over 14 road projects in a single day across the state and for a fact, we have not had it this good in our state.
A staff of the institution, Mrs Solange Onyerinma said the project is a huge relief to everyone. She said “due to the excess height of the old bridge, people find it difficult to climb it and most of the time resort to working long distances to use the main road, thereby endangering their lives.
“We lost one of our best graduating students last year because she was trying to cross the road. If the bridge was okay and usable then, we wouldn’t have had to bury one of our brightest products.
Chiamaka Kalu, a student of the institution from the department of Public Administration said ” I will gladly use the new bridge when fully built. I get scared climbing the old bridge and I do not feel safe using it.
“I take the stress of walking a long distance to Jovit restaurant so I can take the risk of crossing the main road as there is a barricade from Brass junction to the restaurant”.
