Federal Controller of Works in Kogi State, Mr Kajogbola Jimoh, has assured Nigerians that the Ajaokuta-Itobe bridge was “intact and structurally-stable”. He made the remark in response to earlier insinuations by some people that the bridge has divided into two and no longer passable.

He gave the assurance on Friday at Ajaokuta, during an assessment tour of the bridge in company of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) officials.

However, Jimoh conceded that the bridge requires regular maintenance.

He said that the only fault in the bridge was the missing 40mm electrometric rubber base plates that cover expansion joints which had chopped off as a result of vehicular movement on the bridge.

As people return from the Yuletide, an online video had triggered concern on the state of the bridge. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), a video of the expansion gap on bridge went viral on social media, warning motorists of the imminent dangers in plying it.

Jimoh said that irrespective of the exposed gaps, the bridge was structurally-stable without excessive vibration, explaining that the separation gaps between the joints were intentionally designed for thermal expansion.

So it is as designed. If you measure the expansion where there is existing rubber and the one that has lost the rubber, they are still the same, a proof that the bridge is not moving.

I am assuring Nigerians that this bridge is stable. Articulated vehicles are passing through it as you have seen, they don’t need to entertain any fear.

The Federal Controller of Works in Kogi State said that the rubber base plates required replacement regularly because they were not steel or concrete.

However, he noted that when experimented with steel plates, the plates were stolen before the next day by some unpatriotic Nigerians.

Itobe bridge is a very special bridge in Nigeria. It links the South-South, South-East and the Northern part of the country.

In the last 30 minutes that we have been on the bridge, we have seen its behaviour. The bridge is structurally stable the vibration is not excessive,it is designed to vibrate because it is only then that it can deliver.

However, the Federal Controller of Works hinted that a contract for the maintenance work on the bridge was underway.

I have discussed with the Director, Bridge Design in the Ministry and he has assured me that by next week, the contractor would move to site. So by next week, the contractor will start work on this bridge,

he said.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.