Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, will officially flag off the newly reconstructed Igwu Bridge, also known as Omenuko Bridge, on February 4, 2025. Located in Abam, Arochukwu Local Government Area, the bridge is a critical transportation link that had been abandoned for years due to structural failures and bureaucratic delays.

The reconstruction of the Omenuko Bridge was originally awarded as a federal project by the Federal Ministry of Works, Housing, and Power under contract number FMPWH(H)/PROC/4THMTB/2017/160/Vol.1/1012. The project, facilitated by Hon. Uko Nkole under the SDG 2017 capital budget, was awarded to Messers HI-MANSION ALLIED SERVICES LTD at a contract sum of ₦200 million.

The scope of work included the construction of a 30-meter-long and 8-meter-wide bridge to enhance transportation in the region.

However, despite these efforts, the project suffered multiple setbacks. The initial contractor, Messers HI-MANSION Construction Company, failed to pass  critical integrity tests of the work executed on site , leading to the project’s stoppage by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing .

Concerns over public safety forced the Federal Ministry of Works to halt construction, insisting on a fresh design and a brand new building stronger structural reinforcements.
Reason why the initial pilling done was rejected to touched and was meant to be pulled down as a condition precedent for Abia State Government to take over the site which Abia State Government had complied.

During an interview on ABN TV and Radio’s How Your Area program, Hon. Uko Nkole, the former Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, revealed that procurement and overcoming bureaucratic  due process in the designs and obtaining the necessary approval for the bridge contributed to the project implementation delay which he was able to achieve on the 14/04/2023 and has given way for the Present Abia State Government to inherit the low hanging fruit to implement . He also appealed to the state government to also consider the funding of the balance of the entire 44km road from Old soldier Junction to OzuAbam -Bende -Umuahia to have a seamless road which is his original original plan for the route 107.

The initial cost for the bridge construction was #1.5 billion as at 2023 pre May 29/2023 and had to be revised due to inflation and rising material costs, bringing the current estimate to ₦3.3 billion because of the subsidy removal policy of the current Government while the contractor was awarded to Messers Hartland/Serraco the contractor on site for Route F107 who had already delivered Nmuri bridge .

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Now, under the leadership of Governor Alex Otti, the Abia State government has expressed her interest and applied to the Federal Government to reconstruct the bridge only in line with the approved technical and financial conditions of FG while Hartland will continue to reconstruct the  entire 44km road where the bridge is located and the state now with the approval gotten from Federal Ministry Of Works has awarded the bridge construction to GELD Construction Company, which has resumed work on the bridge.

Drawing was done in 2022 and approved on April 14 2023 and this is what Otti administration applied for to build in behalf of federal government that will be reimbursed.
Drawing was done in 2022 and approved on April 14 2023 and this is what Otti administration applied for to build in behalf of federal government that will be reimbursed.

The bridge is still a federal responsibility which the federal ministry of works and housing in the 2025 appropriation bill had budgeted 4bn for the road which ordinarily would have taken care of the execution of the bridge by the Federal Government contractor , however the state government has stepped in to ensure the project’s successful execution as an out of pocket expenses which is reimbursable by FG , reinforcing its commitment to infrastructure development.

Public reactions to the renewed effort have been mixed. While many residents expressed relief, others remained skeptical, citing past failed promises. Some community members emphasized the dangers the deteriorated structure posed to road users, while others questioned the long delays.

The state government has urged residents to be patient as the final construction phases, including the surrounding road network, are completed by FG .

Federal ministry works officials who are the supervisors have assured that the project will be strictly supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works to guarantee quality and compliance with technical standards.

With the official commissioning set for tomorrow, expectations are high that the reconstructed Igwu Bridge will finally provide a safe and reliable passage for commuters, easing transportation challenges in the region.

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