(NIMET), the bridge linking Kokona, Bokoko, Unguwar Doka, Jama’alu, Kofar Gwari, Amba, Agwada, Kana, Bassa, Yelwa and many others in Nasarawa State has come under the spotlight following serious threats of flood and erosion hacking it away.
Daily Trust investigation revealed that if urgent measures are not taken, the bridge may collapse and bring untold hardship to the people.
For about three years running, the people of these communities in Nasarawa State have been battling with the bridge which is on the verge of collapse as erosion has eaten deep into one of the lanes on the bridge, leaving just a lane for a vehicles to pass through.
The fear of heavy downpour this rainy season has been the beginning of wisdom for those plying the road as water takes over everywhere any time it rains, delaying people who want to cross to their various destinations for several hours, it was gathered.
Our reporter found that the problem of the bridge started several years ago when the road was constructed but the bridge was constructed like a culvert, without adequate reinforcement.
The bridge links communities of three constituencies – two federal and one state. Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who represents Nasarawa West at the Senate and Rep Ishaq Ahmed Kana, representing Kokona/Keffi/Karu Federal Constituency as well as Danladi Jatau, who represents Kokona West at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly all use the bridge to get to their villages of Agwada, Kana and Angiri respectively.
According to the District Head of Kokona, Alhaji Nana Aliyu, the situation of the bridge had led to three avoidable accidents with one death recorded.
“We had flood three years ago, which destroyed the bridge. We sent requests to the governor and told the member representing us at the state assembly, Danladi Jatau. He came and saw the situation and reported to the governor as well.
“Honourable Ishaq Ahmed Kana and Senator Abdullahi Adamu are also aware. There was a time that the flood happened when Senator Abdullahi Adamu was about passing the bridge. He had to stop and wait for some time. When we reported, stones were brought to fill the erosion area, but rain took everything away afterwards,” he said.
The district head who appealed to the state government to come to their rescue and fix the bridge, said “as it is now, people are only taking risk with their vehicles to pass through the bridge. As a result of the situation, we don’t get pipe-borne water any longer as the pipes were destroyed at the bridge.”
A concerned resident of Kokona, Isa Sarki, informed our reporter that, “We are in a serious problem because of the bridge. Each time it rains, it takes a long time, like four to five hours, before people start passing through the bridge. We are leaving in a very dicey situation, so we call on the governor to do something.”
Another resident, Jibrin Adamu, who recounted how the problem started, blamed it on the company that carried out the road construction for not working according to specifications.
He said that because the bridge was small, debris, logs and others, have blocked the passage in the bridge thereby causing flood.
“Some business activities have gone down tremendously because of the bridge as heavy duty vehicles cannot pass through the bridge any longer. This governor has tried by making sure that little repairs were done. They brought stones and did the work, but later on everything was washed away. This road links many places, so it’s important. Once the bridge collapses, we’ll be in terrible situation,” he added.
For his part, Prince Usman Aliyu, also urged the governor to take urgent action on the bridge, adding that, “apart from the bridge, we also have other challenges that the governor should look into. I appeal to him to send his representatives to schools in rural areas like ours so that they can be fixed. I also call on our member, Danladi Jatau, to complete the electrification project he started for us here.”
Umar Suleiman who is also a stakeholder urged the state government to expedite action on the bridge and also called on it to strengthen the security situation in the area as people are now threatened by robbers, especially in Kokona town.
Attempts to hear from Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Rep Ishaq Ahmed Kana were not successful, but member representing Kokona West in the state assembly, Danladi Jatau, told Daily Trust that he recently took the issue of the bridge to the state government and contract for its repairs was awarded, only that the contractor was yet to mobilise to site.
“I was there three days ago. I reported to the state government, and they have awarded the contract, according to what the commissioner of works told me. But the contractor has not moved to site yet; that’s the effort. Another effort is on the electricity project which will be completed before the year runs out,” he added.
Confirming the contract award, media aide to Governor Tanko Al-Makura, Sani Musa Mairiga, told our reporter that “When that crisis came up, we went to Bassa through the road, and the governor promised that the bridge would be fixed. I think the contract has been awarded, but the contractor is the one delaying the work.”
