The Peoples’ Parliament, a leading Nigerian advocacy and good governance organisation, has commended Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, for his commitment to reconstructing the iconic Mmam Bridge, which links Abia and Enugu states and has remained damaged for about 57 years.
The group described the governor’s pledge as a significant step towards addressing decades of infrastructural neglect and restoring a critical economic corridor connecting communities across the two states.
Governor Otti had, during a civic reception organised in his honour by the people of Umunneochi Local Government Area in July, pledged to reconstruct the long-abandoned bridge, assuring residents that the project had already been captured in the state’s 2026 budget.
“I have noted your comments, particularly about the Mmam Bridge. I remember that the last time I was here, the matter of the bridge came up, and I had asked that our people should go and look at it. I am sure that it is on the basis of that that it made it into the 2026 budget. And because it has made it into the budget, you should go and sleep. We will do it,” the governor assured.
Reacting to the development in an exclusive interview with Daily NewsLead in Lagos, National Chairman of The Peoples’ Parliament, Chief Richard Ikpe (Nwazuoroha), expressed excitement over the governor’s commitment and commended him for what he described as a demonstrated commitment to accountable, transparent and responsive governance.
According to Ikpe, Governor Otti’s decision to prioritise the reconstruction of Mmam Bridge reflects a clear understanding of Umunneochi’s strategic geographical and economic importance as a major gateway into the South-East.
He noted that the significance of the project extends beyond Umunneochi, arguing that restoring the link would boost regional commerce, mobility and integration while opening up new economic opportunities for communities across Abia, Enugu and neighbouring states.
The Peoples’ Parliament chairman said the reconstruction of the bridge linking Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State with Achi in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State would rank among the most impactful interventions the Otti administration could deliver to the people of Isuochi.
He recalled that Mmam Bridge once served as a vital economic corridor connecting communities in present-day Abia, Enugu and Anambra states, facilitating trade, transportation and longstanding social relationships.
“Nearly six decades after its collapse, its absence continues to impose enormous economic and social costs. Communities that once traded freely now contend with longer travel distances, higher transportation costs, reduced commercial activity and diminished investment opportunities.
“Agricultural produce takes longer routes to markets, businesses lose competitive advantage, and residents continue to experience a level of isolation that should have disappeared decades ago.
“For the people of Isuochi, Mmam Bridge has become more than a physical structure. It represents deferred justice, interrupted progress and decades of governmental neglect. Its reconstruction would, therefore, achieve much more than restoring a transport link,” Ikpe said.
He maintained that the restoration of the bridge and its access roads would reconnect communities that have been separated for generations, revive economic activity across state boundaries, stimulate trade and agriculture, improve transportation and strengthen regional integration.
Beyond its immediate economic benefits, Ikpe said the project would also demonstrate that responsive governance can resolve longstanding problems that previous administrations had left unattended.
“For us at The Parliament, as political conversations ahead of 2027 gradually gather momentum, there is perhaps no single project capable of resonating more profoundly with the people of Isuochi and Umunneochi than the reconstruction of Mmam Bridge and its access roads.
“Infrastructure, after all, remains the most persuasive language of governance. Unlike political rhetoric, completed projects leave lasting evidence of leadership,” he said.
Ikpe further noted that Governor Otti had earned a reputation as a courageous and reform-minded leader willing to confront longstanding challenges, adding that this record had given the people of Isuochi renewed confidence that their decades-old aspiration for the restoration of Mmam Bridge could finally become reality.
“Ultimately, Mmam Bridge is more than an inter-state crossing. It is a bridge between neglect and inclusion, between isolation and opportunity, between history and hope.
“Rebuilding it would not simply connect Abia and Enugu. It would reconnect the people of Umunneochi to the enduring promise of responsive governance, one that listens, acts and delivers,” Chief Ikpe concluded.
