Collapsed Katsina-Zamfara border bridge cripples commerce

Farming and other economic activities have been affected as the temporary bridge bordering Katsina and Zamfara states in Faskari LGA collapsed after a heavy rainfall last Sunday.
Daily Trust Sunday gathered that the main bridge built over 60 years ago collapsed since around 1995 and has not been repaired to date despite persistent complaints to the state government by the community.
Similarly, Katsina state government is yet to pay attention to the old Funtua – Sokoto – Illela – Niger Republic road, making it difficult for farmers and other businessmen in the axis to access markets in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Niger Republic.
This reporter discovered that Zamfara state government has since tarred its road linking to the collaped bridge with a modern drainage. The village head of Sabon Garin Bilbis, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim said the collapsed temporary bridge (slope) was constructed in 2002 through community development work with the aid of Faskari local government council.
“This road was abandoned with the collapse of the main bridge for years until 2002 when communities of Sabon garin Bilbis and its environs contributed money and ventured into community work of establishing a slope.
Faskari local government council under the leadership of Alhaji Sani Musa Yan’kara provided us with 4 tons of cement, iron rods and rings; a development that brought the road into life for about 13 years until last week when rainfall washed its part away.” Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim said.
He further said that the road is also suffering from gully erosion due to the absence of drainage facilities; adding that the rehabilitation of the bridge and the road will make Funtua – Gusau road less busy as most vehicles, especially trucks will divert to the Bilbis road for easy access.
He also expressed optimism that the present administration of Rt Hon Aminu Bello Masari will do the reconstruction of the main bridge and rehabilitation of the road as the member representing Faskari and deputy speaker of Katsina state House of Assembly, Engr Shehu Dalhatu Tafoki assured them that funds would be available in the 2016 budget for the total repair.
Daily Trust Sunday observed that youths from Sabon Garin Bilbis and neighbouring villages delved into the business of crossing the heavy loads of farmers and other businessmen to the other ends of the river at the rate of N50 per 100kg bag.
One of the service providers Muhammad Rabi’u Ahmad (aka Escort) said with the collapse of the slope last Sunday he made a lot of money from the stipends he received after crossing the loads of women and businessmen over the river.
“Farmers and businessmen find it difficult to carry their loads to markets across the river especially in this rainy season as trucks and cars no longer commute on our road due to the collapse of the bridge; so we find it necessary to provide the services of carrying loads and sometimes people to the other ends of the river for a token not more than N50 per 100kg bag.” Muhammad Rabi’u said.
One of the businessmen in the town Alhaji Abdullahi Surajo appeal for  urgent action on the bridge, saying that the unfortunate situation had crippled business and farming activities in the area.
Buses, Cars and Pick up vans were seen parked at the river side of Bilbis waiting for passengers and loads to cross over from Katsina state for their onward transportation to their various destinations.