We have not suspended work on second Niger Bridge – Minister

Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, yesterday said contrary to speculations and media reports, her ministry had not stopped work on the ongoing construction of the second Niger Bridge.

 Media reports had earlier quoted the minister as saying that the federal government erred in commencing work on the construction of the second Niger Bridge without considering the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) law, prompting the ministry to consequently stop work on the project.

Speaking through the Deputy Director, Press and Information, Ben Goong, the minister said: “Without mincing words, the ministry wishes to state in unmistakable terms that the minister never at any point, either at that press conference or any other occasion make that statement.  The report is false, misleading and politically motivated. The report is totally lacking in facts and depth.”

She explained that “there is no record anywhere in the Ministry of Environment or Works or the consortium handling the project indicating that the Minister of Environment has stopped the work on the second Niger Bridge.  You can’t just stop work of that magnitude with the word of mouth.”

The minister stated that her views which were made at the instance of the visiting Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mustapha Pulat and Turkish construction companies’ chief executives, did not allude to the stoppage of work at the second Niger Bridge, but that an interim certificate of EIA was issued to the construction companies to accelerate the progress of the project.