General
FG To Reopen Eko, Apongbon Bridges Ahead of Schedule
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has announced that it will re-open both the Eko and Apongbon Bridges to road users ahead of schedule by midnight of July 9, 2023, six days earlier than initially planned.
The Director for Highways, Bridges and Designs in the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr Omotayo Awosanya, confirmed this while leading top engineers from the Federal team and Lagos State on an inspection tour of the bridges.
According to him, this is to alleviate the suffering of road users who have had to suffer commuting stress due to the closure of the infrastructures.
Both Apongbon and Eko Bridges were razed by fire caused by human activities in 2022.
Apongbon Bridge was affected by fire in March 2022, and efforts for its December completion were stalled by another fire that affected the Ijora Olopa section of the Eko Bridge on November 4.
On the other hand, the Ijora Olopa section of Marine Bridge damaged by vandals was shut on May 17, 2023, for safety of the public.
The team earlier had a closed-door meeting with Buildwell Plants and Equipment Industries Limited, contractors on the project, at their construction yard in Costain.
Recall that Business Post had reported that the federal government had earlier set July 15 completion deadline for the bridges.
Upon inspection of the Apongbon Bridge, both up and beneath, and the Ijora-Olopa section of the Eko Bridge by the joint team, Mr Awosanya said the date review was borne out of the need to relieve stress commuters have undergone for almost a year since the fire gutted the Apongbon section and later Ijora Olopa portion.
“At exactly midnight on Sunday, July 9, the bridges will be re-opened so that commuters will have smooth passage on Monday morning of July 10.”
He said that when the bridges are re-opened, there will be intermittent short closures to continue repairs.
He said an existing contract for the rehabilitation of the entire Eko Bridge had reached 50 per cent completion.
The director added that a total of 150 bearings had been replaced, with an additional 150 to be installed in subsequent rehabilitation works.
He said full-scale rehabilitation would continue on other sections of the Eko Bridge, as the contract is meant to last three years.
“We have come here to urge the contractor to reduce five days out of the 15th of July; we are now going to open the bridge on the 9th at 12.00 midnight.
“And a minute after 12.00 a.m on the 9th, the bridge will be opened for traffic on the 10th.
“This is as a result of close collaboration between the federal government and Lagos State Government because we are mindful of the stress the closure of this bridge has caused to Lagosians, and we have put pressure on the contractor to open the bridge on Monday for traffic.
“This will reduce the stress presently on other bridges connecting the island and Victoria Island,” he said.
He warned that the Federal Government would evacuate all illegal squatters under all Lagos Bridges, causing damage to the infrastructure.
He noted that the collaboration of the federal and state governments would help to achieve the eviction of the squatters under the Apongbon and Ijora bridges, as well as other bridges.
The Permanent Secretary Office of Infrastructure in Lagos State, Mr Olufemi Daramola, expressed satisfaction with the level of work, assuring residents of a better motoring experience on the axis after the re-opening of both bridges.
Mr Daramola said with what is on the ground, “9th of July is very realistic”, assuring that arrangements were at a high level towards the protection of all bridges.
On her part, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, appreciated the Lagos public for their patience while the repairs of both bridges lasted.
Mrs Kesha appealed to residents to be vigilant and report illegalities and vandalism, adding that they should take ownership of all infrastructure to prevent the wastage of scarce resources that go into repairs.
The joint team from the Federal and Lagos State governments also inspected the Ijora Olopa section of the Marine Bridge, scheduled for completion in September 2023.
During the inspection, Mrs Kesha assured that demolition had been completed on all the five panels destroyed by vandals, adding that casting of concrete was set to begin.
The delivery date for Apongbon Bridge was extended to May 2023 because some materials for its repairs were used to start the emergency repair of the Ijora Olopa section.
The government later set another deadline for July 15 which was reviewed downward to July 9.
The 4.1km Eko Bridge links Lagos Island with Mainland. It directly links to Apongbon on the Island side.
Eko Bridge has been undergoing phased rehabilitation, but the contract for its comprehensive maintenance was awarded in February 2022 and is expected to extend to 2026.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State on Saturday left several party members injured after a violence clash erupted.
According to reports, one of the injured persons was Mr Idowu Oyawale, who served as the campaign Director General of a House of Representatives member in the last general elections, Ms Tolulope Akande-Sadipe.
It was disclosed that he sustained severe injuries during the exercise and is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
The ward congress was organised by the ruling party to elect ward executives across the local government’s wards.
However, it was disrupted at Olomi Ward 7 by suspected heavily-armed political thugs allegedly linked to a member of the party.
It was claimed that the thugs invaded the congress venue at Olomi Basic School 1, dispersing party members and officials supervising the exercise, with stones, clubs and other weapons.
Eyewitnesses said tensions escalated unprovoked over delegates’ lists and ward executive positions. The disagreement reportedly degenerated into physical altercations before the violent attacks on some party members.
It was learnt that security operatives led a tactical team to restore order, peace, and disperse the attackers.
Reacting to the incident, some party leaders and elders condemned the violence, describing it as unfortunate and capable of undermining the credibility of the internal democratic process.
The leaders have called on party chieftains and President Bola Tinubu to immediately order an investigation into the violent attacks.
By Princess Yanney
One message stood out; one particular briefing gave clarity and hope for better days ahead. Africa will be heard; willingly or unwillingly, and the resolution thereof will no longer be a hope for years to come, but a reality to actualise. At a press conference during the 39th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama urged African leaders to adopt a common continental strategy on the legacy of slavery and racialised chattel enslavement, which he described as “the gravest crime against humanity.”
In this context, one must understand; Reparations matter because colonialism was not simply an episode of foreign rule. It was an economic system. African land was seized, labour was coerced, institutions were reshaped to serve external interests, and entire economies were redesigned around the export of raw materials.
Long before independence, the transatlantic slave trade had already stripped the continent of people, skills and social stability, creating permanent demographic and developmental damage. Colonial rule then consolidated this destruction into a durable global structure of inequality.
President Mahama explained that Ghana’s proposed AU resolution, which received broad support from member states, was carefully drafted with extensive consultations involving the AU Committee of Experts on Reparations, legal experts, academic institutions and diaspora organisations. He said the resolution’s wording was deliberately chosen to reflect historical accuracy, legal credibility, and moral clarity.
“Ghana has undertaken extensive consultations to strengthen the resolution. We’ve engaged with UNESCO, the Global Group of Experts on Reparations, the Pan-African Lawyers Union, academic institutions, the African Union Committee of Experts on Reparations and the African Union Legal Experts Reference Group. We hosted the inaugural joint meeting of the African Union Committee of Experts on Reparations and the African Union Legal Experts Reference Group in Accra earlier this month to further refine the text of the resolution. We also began engagement with the diaspora at the Ghana Diaspora Summit held in December last year.”
Hence, come March 25, the resolution will be presented by one man, who will echo the voice of millions of African people and people of African descent. Because truly, a united Africa demanding reparations is not an Africa asking to be included in an unequal system, but rather, an Africa asserting its right to help redesign it. President Mahama stressed that the initiative goes beyond symbolism, providing a legal and moral foundation for reparatory justice and sustained engagement with the global community. The resolution is designed to facilitate dialogue with the United Nations and international partners while affirming Africa’s demand for recognition and accountability for centuries of exploitation and injustice.
“Informal consultations on the draft text are expected to take place between 23rd February and 12th March 2026. Our objective is simple: to build a broad consensus behind this resolution. The initiative is not directed at any nation; it is directed towards truth, recognition and reconciliation.”
He reiterated. Truth is, a united Africa is a strong global force that cannot be stopped or interrupted. But a divided Africa is an Africa liable to imperialism and Western domination. It is therefore a priority for all African people to join hands and stand together to ensure the aims of these resolutions are achieved.
“We call upon all member states to support and co-sponsor this resolution. The adoption of this resolution will not erase history, but it will acknowledge it. The trafficking in enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement were foundational crimes that have shaped the modern world, and their consequences continue to manifest in structural inequality, racial discrimination and economic disparity.
Recognition is not about division; it is about moral courage. Adoption of the resolution will not be the end. Following the adoption, Ghana will continue engagement with the United Nations Secretary General, the African Union Commission, relevant UN bodies and interested member states,” said John Dramani Mahama as he called for unity.
The importance of today’s reparations consensus lies in its recognition that Africa’s underdevelopment is not an internal failure to be corrected through aid, reforms or external advice. It is the historical and continuing outcome of dispossession. Reparations, therefore, respond to a concrete injury, not an abstract moral wrong. Again, Reparations matter because colonialism was not simply an episode of foreign rule. It was an economic system. African land was seized, labour was coerced, institutions were reshaped to serve external interests, and entire economies were redesigned around the export of raw materials.
Long before independence, the transatlantic slave trade had already stripped the continent of people, skills and social stability, creating permanent demographic and developmental damage. Colonial rule then consolidated this destruction into a durable global structure of inequality. Which is why today’s fight, today’s struggle, is of utmost importance. It is a correction of a historical inhumane error. One that has to be amended and corrected, beginning with recognition.
“This is about a sustained dialogue on reparatory justice and healing. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this initiative presents us with a historic opportunity, an opportunity to affirm the truth of our history, an opportunity to recognise the gravest injustice in human history, and an opportunity to lay a stronger foundation for genuine reconciliation and equality. While the past cannot be undone, it can be acknowledged, and acknowledgement is the first step towards justice.” – John Dramani Mahama expressed to the media and all who were gathered to witness the briefing under the theme, “Ancestral Debt, Modern Justice: Africa’s United Case For Reparations”.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Christopher Maikalangu, as the winner of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) election, held on Saturday.
The results for the keenly observed municipal chairmanship poll were announced at the INEC area office in Karu at about 4:30 a.m on Sunday.
The Collation Officer for AMAC, Mr Andrew Abue, said that Mr Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected, having scored the highest number of votes cast, 40,295 out of the total number of valid votes of 62,861 in the election.
“That Maikalangu of the APC, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” he declared.
Mr Abue stated that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 3,398 votes.
According to him, a professor, the rejected votes were 2,336, and the total valid votes were 62,861, while the total votes cast were 65,197.
He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.
According to him, the scores of the political parties and their candidates that contested the AMAC chairmanship election are:
Agbon Vaniah of the Accord (A) – 403 votes
Nemiebika Tamunomiesam of the Action Alliance (AA) – 108 votes
Paul Ogidi of African Democratic Congress (ADC) – 12,109 votes
Richard Elizabeth of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) – 588 votes
Christopher Maikalangu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) – 40,295 votes
Eze Chukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – 1,111 votes
Chukwu Promise of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) – 122 votes
Ugoh Michael of the Action Peoples Party(APP) – 32 votes
Thomas Happiness of the Boot Party (BP) – 43 votes
Jibrin Alhassan of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – 1,694 votes
Samson Usani of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) – 73 votes
Dantani Zanda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – 3,398 votes
Iber Shimakaha of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) – 90 votes
Simon Obinna of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) – 2,185 votes
Madaki Robert of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) – 421 votes
Swani Buba of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) – 189 votes.
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