SECOND NIGER BRIDGE: ANAMBRA ASSEMBLY BATTLES FG OVER PPP

The proposed second bridge across the River Niger may be experiencing another setback as members of the National Assembly from Anambra State, under the aegis of Anambra State National Assembly caucus said they would resist the plan to execute the project under Public Private Partnership, (PPP).

Speaking to journalists yesterday in Atani during Afam Ogene football competition, the leader of the Anambra caucus and member representing Anaocha/Dunukofia/Njikoka Federal Constituency, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife said they would resist the plan. According to Ekwunife, they saw the plan to execute the second Niger Bridge under PPP as one of the plots to delay the construction of the most needed bridge across the River Niger, which she said was the only entrance into South-east.

'That was one of the promises Mr. President made to the South east during his electioneering campaign and I can tell you that he is keeping to the promise but some of us in the National Assembly from the South- east are going to ensure that the second Niger Bridge is built by the Federal Government and not PPP.'

'We object to that PPP, we are going to reject it, we are going to object to it with whatever it is going to take to reject it. Federal Government must come out to give us second Niger Bridge. They did similar thing in other zones and those projects were not done under PPP and that of the second Niger Bridge cannot be done by PPP. We are going to reject that.'

On the unity of the legislators from Anambra State, Ekwunife said they had been united by the fact that they were representing the interests of their constituents at the National Assembly irrespective of party affiliation.

'We are working together, we are working like a family, especially members from Anambra State. There is no division; you will not even know that all of us are not from the same political party. Anambra is our interest as well as South-east and Nigeria at large.'

Also speaking, the member representing Ogbaru in the House of Representatives, Mr Afam Ogene, who organized a football competition for his constituency said he was touched by the present condition of sports in the country..