The Senate has called on Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to carry out an urgent engineering inspection of the collapsed old bridge and damaged sections of the Okija spur road in Anambra State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the lawmakers also urged the ministry and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to take emergency steps to restore safe and temporary access along the route following growing concerns over state of the highway.
Senators adopted a motion on Wednesday titled “Need for Rehabilitation of Okija Spur-Ihembosi-Ukpor-Ebenator-Ezinifite Road,” sponsored by Emmanuel Nwachukwu, who represents Anambra South.
The lawmaker said the road is a key commercial and social link that supports farming, trade, education, health access, and daily travel for many communities in the senatorial district.
He explained that the old bridge over the Ulasi stream collapsed on March 5, 2025, cutting off movement and worsening hardship for residents.
Nwachukwu noted that plans to replace the old bridge have stalled, with a new structure under construction for more than a decade but still only about 70 percent finished, leaving pillars standing without installed deck components and the corridor largely impassable.
He said the worsening road conditions have raised safety risks, increased travel costs, and slowed economic activities across the affected communities.
The Senate directed its Committee on Works to oversee all federal responses to the crisis, including actions on the collapsed bridge and the incomplete new structure.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio told lawmakers that swift intervention is essential to protect lives, improve safety along the corridor, and curb criminal activities that have increased because of the poor road conditions.
He instructed the committee to engage closely with the Federal Ministry of Works and FERMA to ensure the needed repairs and construction proceed without delay.
