The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has expressed surprise over the sudden closure of the Independence Bridge in Lagos. Umahi, who visited the site on Thursday, stated that he was not informed about the decision, calling it “very unfortunate.”
The minister criticized the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mrs. Olukorede Keisha, for taking such a significant step without seeking approval from the appropriate authorities. He stressed that closing a bridge, especially in a bustling city like Lagos, should have been discussed at the ministerial level before any action was taken.
“I was not informed. The controller did that on her own, and it’s very unfortunate,” Umahi said. “Because for a bridge to be closed, especially in Lagos, as you know, as it has been the tradition, I should be informed as the minister. And we should also have studied the implications of it, even though it’s an emergency situation. We would have deployed an emergency evaluation of the implications of closing the bridge.”
Umahi stated that there would be disciplinary consequences for Keisha’s unilateral decision. He also issued a stern warning to all controllers and engineers nationwide, instructing them not to close any bridge or road without following due process.
“So I use the opportunity to warn all controllers and engineers all over the country. Never you close the route or close any bridge without going through the Permanent Secretary, who will seek permission from the Honorable Minister of Works. And so there will be consequences, disciplinary action for this,” he said.
The minister also publicly apologized to residents of Lagos and President Bola Tinubu for the disruption caused by the closure. He acknowledged the inconvenience and assured the public that he was taking responsibility for the situation, even though he was not directly involved in the decision.
“Let me apologise to Lagosians and Mr. President for the trouble this closure caused the entire Lagosians and of course, the nation. I take responsibility for it, even though I did not order it. But every action by any staff or minister of works, I take responsibility for that,” he stated.
Umahi further explained that if proper procedures had been followed, the closure would have been handled differently. He suggested that alternative measures could have been explored to minimize the impact on the public. Instead of a total shutdown, a partial closure over a weekend could have been arranged to allow necessary remedial work to be carried out without causing widespread disruptions.
To rectify the situation, the minister announced that temporary restoration of the bridge would be completed within three days, ensuring full reopening by Sunday. He also outlined plans for a more permanent solution, which would be implemented after two weeks.
“And even if we were going to close, we would have done it in such a way that we take three days – Friday, Saturday, Sunday – and then we would have put in place the remedial work that would be necessary. So what we are doing now is to restore the bridge temporarily within the next three days. By Sunday, this place will be totally open. And then after two weeks, we will look at the settlements. Then, we will take three days to put up the permanent structure. That is what we’re going to do,” he explained.
