Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has tasked the Federal Government on new road maintenance model to guarantee a better condition and longevity of Nigerians roads.
Mbah made the call when he visited the scene of the bridge that collapsed between the New Artisan flyover and the NNPC Mega Station along the Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway on Monday.
He regretted that the current model of road maintenance had failed woefully.
The bridge collapsed on Monday, leaving commuters stranded.
Fielding questions from newsmen after the inspection of the scene of the incident, Mbah thanked God that no life was lost in spite of the magnitude of the incident.
The governor urged the federal government to consider a concession of all the federal roads to state governments for proper maintenance in conjunction with the private sector.
“I think the question should be whether the current model of federal road maintenance is working or not; and I think that is the bigger question that we must ask.
“Today, we are here witnessing a tragedy that has just occurred. We are fortunate enough that no life was lost, but this could have been prevented entirely.
“So, the people can no longer ply this route because of this tragedy and this shows clearly that we do not have a sound federal road maintenance model.
He explained that the bridge collapse did not just happen, stressing that the threats could have been identified if we had routine or regular maintenance.
“Perhaps, the way to go is to find a way to concession these roads to the states. The states need to take charge of the roads within their domains and there has to be a conversation around the funding models”.
Meanwhile, in a statement signed by the Enugu State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Gerald Otiji, he advised commuters to use Nza Street through New Haven or ply Ogui Road and Abakaliki Road to their various destinations.
He said the commuters should continue to use the alternative routes until the authorities come up with measures for immediate repair on the failed section of the bridge.
