Niger Declares State of Emergency on Federal Roads

From Saka Bolaji – Minna

The Niger State government has charged the federal government to as a matter of urgency intervene in the reconstruction of collapsed federal bridges and failed federal roads in the state.
This is coming on the heels of the collapsed of two bridges within two weeks along federal roads in Tatabu village along Jebba to Mokwa road and Bokani along Mokwa Tegina road cutting off completely the Western part from the North that has created untold hardship on the lives of Nigerians.
Inspecting the two sites where the incidence occurred in Mokwa local government of Niger state, the commissioner of information Mr Jonathan Tsado Vatsa on behalf of the state government declared a state of emergency on all the federal roads in Niger state, which he described them as ‘death traps’.
Vatsa, who lamented that a railway line the only alternative transportation from the route had been washed off, added that this would definitely affect transport fare and increase price of goods creating more hardship to the citizens.
His words: “You can see the North and West is shut down, this is not palatable, we are here to take report to the state government for onward transmission to the federal government. Some of this bridges were constructed during Sardauna era; they are now obsolete.
“We don’t have the capacity to carryout work here considering the level of this destruction both on the road and railway line, we are calling on the federal government to urgently intervene by awarding the work for competent company to can do the work effectively”.
A driver from Bauchi to Lagos, Isah Isyaka, who was cut off on his journey expressed dismay over the incident, and called on the federal government to immediately find an alternative before the final construction of the bridge.
A resident of Tatabu village Wahid Ayegbeni said the entire village was shocked as their village now hosts different kinds of people who ordinarily were supposed to be passers-by.
According to Vatsa, the Minister of Works, Power and Transport, Babatunde Fashola, has been informed about the development and he is expected to visit the sites and do something about it soon next.