Flooding Cuts Off Bridge In Nasarawa

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Post created on 3:14 pm

 

 

Heavy rainfall that occurred two days ago accompanied by flooding has cut off a bridge in Akwanga town, which connects Nasarawa, Plateau, and other states up North and Southeastern part.

This is coming barely 48 hours after the collapse of part of the bridge on the Federal Highway, around Isah Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Bukan-Sidi, Lafia, the state capital.

The latest collapsed bridge in Akwanga, the headquarters of Akwanga LGA, is used by motorists coming from Kaduna, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, and other states and heading for Abuja.

DailyTrust correspondent who visited the scene observed that traffic had been diverted for heavy-duty vehicles into some inner roads on A. A Koto, Chun Mada lane, and Wamba bye-pass, while the remaining small part of the highway is being utilized by cars, motorcycles, and tricycles.

One of the residents of the area, Mr. Akulo John, urged both the federal and state governments to address the plight of the locals by repairing the bridge in time.

A driver, Mr. Ibrahim Danjuma, said if the bridge is not immediately reconstructed it would be difficult for drivers to use the only road that connects to neighboring states.

He said, “If urgent steps are not taken, armed robbers and other criminal elements would take advantage and rob innocent people plying the road. I am appealing to the state government to collaborate with FERMA (Federal Roads Maintenance Agency) to reconstruct the bridge.”

All efforts to get across to the executive chairman of Akwanga Local Government Area, Mr. Safiyanu Isa, proved abortive as his phone was switched off as of the time of filing this report.

When contacted on the phone, the district head of Akwanga metropolis, Sir Anthony Yamusa, described the collapsed bridge as a death trap and called on the Nasarawa State Government and the FERMA to matter of urgency reconstruct the bridge.

He said, “It is unfortunate and painful that the bridge that links the Southern and Northern parts of the country was partly washed away. This will not only affect people’s lives but will also affect economic and commercial activities.

“It is because of this that I want to appeal to the governor of Nasarawa State to collaborate with the Federal Government to reconstruct this bridge that has been washed away, immediately.”

He called on FERMA to put in place some palliative measures to ease movements pending when the bridge would be reconstructed.