David Umahi, minister of works, has asked Lagos state government to close the waterway between Eko Bridge and Carter Bridge due to damage to Eko Bridge by dredging activities.
Gatekeepers News reports that the minister made the call during an inspection tour of some bridges in Lagos on Saturday.
The minister noted that a dredger had hit one of the bridge’s pier caps, destroying it alongside many rods.
He said, “We had a very terrible situation at Eko Bridge with one of the pier caps totally damaged, and again, I was only told last night.”
“Pier caps are to bridges what the legs are to human beings. What is holding that section are only rods. Some of the rods were damaged also.”
“I immediately directed divers to be deployed. The dredger that hit the pier cap and the pier tumbled, and they sunk.”
Umahi said he considered shutting the bridge over its “emergency” condition and directed the contractor on the necessary repairs “though very delicate, to restore it”.
The minister noted that an arrest has been made, and federal government would take decisive action on the next steps.
He urged Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, to enforce an immediate closure of the waterway to prevent further damage to the infrastructure.
Umahi added that he also saw dredging activities along Third Mainland bridge despite the banning of dredging activities along a 10km radius from all bridges in Nigeria by the federal executive council.
The minister noted that dredging near bridges undermined their structural integrity.
He urged the public to avoid parking and loading on bridges.
