MINNA – The Federal government has been called upon to as a matter of urgency despatch a team of engineers to check the current status of the River Kaduna (Wuya-Kede) and the Jebba bridges to ensure that both have outlived their lifespan.
The call is coming as motorists, and transporters plying the only highway linking northern Nigeria with the south-western part of the country have expressed fears of possible collapse of the bridges.
The fears being expressed by road users is coming barely a year one of the bridges along the same route collapse in the peak of rainy season when water level was high thereby causing untold hardship to especially transporters plying the Bida- Mokwa-Ilorin-Lagos route on a daily basis.
Mr. Olawale Tompson, who plys the road on weekly basis said some times they experience something like vibration driving through the Mokwa-Jebba bridge.
Also speaking, fishermen rowing through under the bridge to check their nets for a catch recalled noticing cracks while fishing and expressed fears of looming danger or imminent collapse of the River Kaduna bridge if nothing is done urgently by the Minister of Works, Engineer David Umahi.
Yakubu Tetengi, one of the visiting fishermen to Wuya river (River Kaduna), in search of their daily bread narrated near frightening experiences while beneath the bridge when vehicles are crossing the bridge, especially at the peak of rainy seasons.
“There are cracks under the Wuya bridge and many holes water enter, it will seem as if the bridge is shaking when cars are passing. We are always afraid and that is why we want the federal government to consider proactive measures by checking the lifespan of the bridges and to carry out minor maintainance to avoid collapse”.
Passing through the Mokwa-Jebba bridge and the situation is the same, Yakubu said, adding that, “Though they started the maintenance work along the bridge but the work was suspended for reasons best known to the contractor and the government”.
“This Wuya Kede Bridge is connecting communities in Niger-south Senatorial district with other parts of the state and the country was constructed I think in the 1960’s, and since then no serious maintenance has been carried out”.
If the bridges which serves as the only links between north and south western part of Nigeria collapse, Yakubu expressed fears that movements of people, goods and services between north and south west would be badly affected.
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