Minister: I wasn’t aware of Independence Bridge closure, controllers’ll be punished

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has apologised to Lagos residents and President Bola Tinubu for the disruption caused by the sudden closure of the Independence Bridge.

Umahi apologised when he toured the bridge in Lagos on Thursday, April 3, 2025.

The minister stated that the closure of the bridge was for urgent rehabilitation of the collapsed retaining wall but was made without his knowledge or authorisation.

He said: ”Unfortunately, when the bridge was to be closed, I was not informed. It is very unfortunate because for a bridge to be closed, especially in Lagos, as it has been the tradition, I should be informed as the minister.

“We should also have studied the implication of it even in an emergency situation. We would have deployed an emergency evaluation of the implication of closing the bridge.”

Umahi warned that the controllers of works and engineers would face disciplinary action if such an incident happened again.

Umahi added: “I use the opportunity to warn all controllers and engineers all over the country. Never close a road or close any bridge without running through the permanent secretary, who will seek permission from the Honourable Minister of Works.”

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The minister acknowledged the efforts of the Lagos State Government in managing traffic flow during the closure.

He also took responsibility for the error, saying: “I take responsibility for it, even though I did not order it, but every action by any staff of the Ministry of Works, I take responsibility for it.”

Umahi said the closure, which caused significant traffic congestion, was avoidable.

He said: “If we were to do this properly, there would have been a different kind of method deployed, and it wouldn’t have necessitated the total closure.

“Even if closure was necessary, it would have been done in a way that it would take three days -Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – and necessary remedial work would have been put in place.

“What we are doing now is to restore the bridge temporarily within the next three days. By Sunday, this place will be totally open.”

The minister added that a permanent solution would be implemented after a two-week assessment.

He pledged to personally oversee the restoration efforts, saying: “I am not going until the bridge is fully restored by Sunday. We will work day and night to restore it, and then we will evaluate it.”

The Star