Minister of Works, David Umahi, has directed that pictures of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu be displayed on the First Niger Bridge after the completion of ongoing rehabilitation works.

Umahi gave the directive on Wednesday while inspecting the rehabilitation project at the Onitsha end of the bridge, which links Anambra and Delta states.

The minister also ordered the removal of all illegal advertisements mounted on the bridge, saying anyone seeking to advertise on the structure must first obtain approval from the Ministry of Works.

‘Bridge Will Be Decorated With Tinubu’s Pictures’

Speaking during the inspection, Umahi said the bridge would be decorated with Tinubu’s pictures as a way of recognising what he described as the President’s intervention and infrastructure projects in the South-East.

“Once we are done with work on this bridge, I want all the illegal adverts on this bridge removed. Anyone who wants to advertise should apply to the Ministry of Works. For now, the bridge will be decorated with the pictures of President Tinubu,” Umahi said.

He added, “The President has worked so hard and we need to reward his hard work by decorating this bridge with his pictures.”

Punch reported that Umahi also directed the South-East and South-South Senior Special Assistants to the President to beautify and colour the bridge with the President’s pictures.

First Niger Bridge Set To Reopen

The directive came as rehabilitation work on the First Niger Bridge nears completion.

The bridge was shut earlier in September after vandals were discovered to have removed critical structural components, including bolts, nuts and parts of the expansion joints.

The reopening, initially scheduled for September 21, was postponed by one week because persistent rainfall affected the rehabilitation work.

Umahi said the Federal Government would not rush the reopening until all critical structural works had been completed.

“We will be here next week to open the bridge,” he said.

The rehabilitation has included replacement of vandalised bolts and expansion joints, repairs to the carriageway and walkways, as well as the installation of CCTV cameras and streetlights.

The minister also directed that no security checkpoint should be established within 200 metres of the bridge, warning that such checkpoints could worsen traffic congestion.

Umahi Appeals For South-East Support

During the inspection, Umahi also appealed to voters in the South-East ahead of the 2027 presidential election, urging them to consider projects being executed by the Tinubu administration in the region.

He argued that although the South-East did not substantially support Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, the region had continued to benefit from Federal Government projects under his administration.

“I want to say to Ndigbo that we should not throw away our votes in 2027. In the last election we did not vote for him so well, yet he is bringing projects to our region,” Umahi said.

Umahi, a member of the All Progressives Congress, also challenged supporters of Peter Obi to identify projects he had attracted to the South-East.

The minister said he was proud of Tinubu’s record in the region and defended the administration’s infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, Umahi directed the governors of Anambra and Delta states to intensify monitoring of scrap markets, citing concerns that activities in the sector could contribute to the vandalism of public infrastructure.