Distressed Shagamu-Benin Bridge: Onoh commends Umahi on quick response, citizens' engagement

President Bola Tinubu's former campaign spokesman in the south east, Dr Josef Onoh, has made accolades on the Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi, for his quick response to the distressed Shagamu-Benin expressway bridge at the boundary of Edo and Ondo States.

A social media user had made a viral video on the confusion that greeted the damage on a part of the bridge and which resulted to fall of a truck therein with attendant gridlock on the expressway, last week.

But the Minister of Works on receipt of the information quickly mobilized to the bridge during the weekend.

Umahi noted that the problem of the bridge built in 1981 was age, recalling that in 2024, similar incident occurred on one of the spans of the bridge and was immediately rehabilitated.

"The bridge deck is aging and this incident happened only on 29 August 2025. We have directed immediate rehabilitation of the yielded sections of the bridge from September 1 and this will last for a maximum of 45 days to allow concrete to mature," Umahi responded.

The Ministry of Works however commenced work on the bridge earlier than September 1 2025.

The Minister thanked the content creator for alerting the ministry, noting that President Bola Tinubu is highly sensitive to the situation of Nigeria roads and bridges. 

"He (President Tinubu) is intervening in over 30 bridges rehabilitation nationwide in 2025 alone and this one will happen urgently. I apologize to all our brothers and sisters for inconveniences they have suffered or will suffer during rehabilitation period."

Umahi promised to work with Road Safety personnel to maintain traffic on one carriageway of the bridge to reduce traffic jam on the lane. 

"Please tell the content creator that the head of this minister is very active and working well. Remind him that Lagos-Calabar coastal road and other legacy projects Mr president is constructing are more than road construction, but investment of estimable benefits to Nigeria. 

"He is free to keep his opinion and watch the transformation of our Devine President even as great gains have happened and he cannot deny it. However, extend my love to him. Nigeria under President Tinubu is on the rise again and we thank God for our country under our dear president," Umahi responded to the viral video producer.

Commending the Minister, Onoh said that Umahi exhibited the highest form of decorum in the citizens engagement and fast response to the emergency.

Onoh said, "The engagement of citizens must not be attack especially when it concerns national development. The greatest problem that Nigerians have is the dysfunctional communication system where constructive criticism is seen as an attack, but the Minister has shown serious leadership trait with his engagement and response," Onoh said.

He urged other government functionaries to emulate the maturity of Minister Umahi in dealing with citizens' critique of the Tinubu administration other than the perception of such commentaries as attack on government.