The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has reached out to the Ecological Office regarding technical issues identified with the newly constructed Nkpa Bridge in Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State.
This situation arises after a section of the newly constructed bridge, which has not yet been officially commissioned, collapsed due to recent heavy rainfall. Despite its construction, the bridge has shown structural issues, raising concerns about its safety and integrity.
In a statement on Thursday, Chief Press Secretary Mr. Levinus Nwabughiogu reported that the Deputy Speaker is very concerned about the situation and has taken action to address it. He mentioned that efforts are underway to resolve the issues surrounding the bridge and ensure safety for the community.
According to Nwabughiogu, the Ecological Office has been notified and will meet with the House’s Ecological Funds Committee, along with the project consultant, MX Consulting Engineering Services, and the contractor, Nespresco Services Limited, for an urgent discussion.
“The Committee is expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the matter and may visit the site to ascertain the level of collapse and take steps to fix the problem.
He further clarified that the Deputy Speaker was not responsible for appointing the contractors.
“We would want to clarify that the Office of the Deputy Speaker did not appoint the contractors as members of the parliament do not have the statutory powers to choose contractors.
"Members of parliament can only advocate for projects in their constituencies, they do not manage the execution of these initiatives themselves. This responsibility falls to the relevant federal government agency, which oversees the entire process.
"In the case of the Nkpa Bridge, the Deputy Speaker and other representatives have worked to secure its construction, but the agency is responsible for implementing and managing the project".
“It should also be noted that the Deputy Speaker has declined all entreaties to commission the project until its integrity is proven", He added
He mentioned that the Office of the Deputy Speaker wants the people of Nkpa, Bende constituents, Abians, and all users of the bridge and Nkpa Road to remain calm as efforts are underway to find a lasting solution to the issue."
