FROM SAMSON ALFA, Minna
Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi has been urged to draft a team of engineers to save Wuya-Kede and Jebba Bridges from imminent collapse.
AljazirahNigeria reports that the bridges along Bida-Mokwa-Lagos roads which links the north and southern part of Nigeria may soon collapse if urgent steps are not taken.
Speaking in an interview, some fishermen said they noticed cracks while fishing under the bridge.Â
Mallam Yakubu Tetengi, a fisherman at Wuya River popularly known as River Kaduna, said there is the need for government to take proactive action before the bridge collapses and brings the economy of the nation to a halt.
He said under Wuya bridge, there is a crack indicating many holes, adding that the bridge has been threatening to collapse until a team of engineers carried out minor maintainance work some years back at the entrance of the bridge from Bida to the south.
“I was at Jebba Bridge and the situation is the same though maintenance work was said to have commenced, but it has been suspended,” Yakubu noted.
According to him, Wuya Kede Bridge, which was constructed since 1960’s is the only critical infrastructure connecting communities in Niger South Senatorial District and has not gotten any serious maintenance.
“In this modern society, government should expand or build a new bridge as the present one is outdated considering the heavy trucks that ply the road, adding that the alarming situation poses a significant threat to the safety of commuters and the economy”.
Aljazirah reports that Wuya Kede Bridge located in the heart of Niger State ensures the movement of people, goods and services between the north and southern parts of the country. However, its deteriorating condition has raised concerns among locals.
When contacted by AljazirahNigeria, a senior official of the federal ministry of works who craved anonymity claimed that a team of engineers were dispatched to the area and are yet to discover any threat from the bridge.
