Residents protest demolition of buildings for 2nd Niger bridge

•72 buildings marked for demolition

More than 72 builds have been marked for demolition to pave the way for the construction of a second Niger bride in Onitsha.

But residents have protested against the plan, demanding compensation before the demolition is carried out.

They said they do not trust the federal government’s promise of payment after the demolition, recalling that the landlords of most houses demolished for constructions nationwide are still awaiting compensation.

One of the protesters, Cyril Madubuko, told TheNiche that they are not against the construction of a second Niger bridge, all they want is payment of compensation so that those affected can find alternative accommodation.

“We welcome the idea of a second Niger bridge but we the beneficiaries should not be made destitute. Both residential and business premises are affected. Once they pay, we will evacuate the place before the demolition takes place.”

The construction company, Julius Berger, has deployed equipment to the site, but the work is yet to commence.

The company reportedly delayed the work because of a lack of environmental impact assessment (EIA).

However, both Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority Chief Executive Officer, Uche Orji, and Julius Berger Managing Director, Wolfgang Goetsch, said the project is progressing and will be completed on schedule.

It will be executed under public private partnership (PPP) for concessional period of 25 years through design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model.