The collapse of the Kufai Bawuru Bridge has alarmed the residents of Nyido-Tosso Ward in Taraba State’s Kurmi Local Government Council. They are urging the state government and pertinent authorities to immediately repair or rebuild the infrastructure.
The bridge, which connects the ward’s settlements with other areas of the local government area, has become hazardous and challenging to use since it collapsed, according to the locals.
Since many locals rely on farming and trading for their livelihoods, they voiced concern that the development might impede the flow of people, agricultural products, and necessities.
They claim that although traders and other locals depend on the bridge to obtain goods and services in nearby areas, farmers use it as a crucial route to move their produce to markets.
Concerns over access to healthcare facilities, schools, and other vital services have also been raised by the situation, and locals have warned that a protracted disruption could further isolate the area’s populations.
Tafa Sunday, a local, urged the Kurmi Local Government Council, the Taraba State Government, and other pertinent authorities to check the bridge immediately and start fixing it in an interview with newspapers.
“Therefore, we are requesting that the Taraba State Government, Kurmi Local Government Council, and other pertinent authorities examine the bridge and take prompt action to rehabilitate or rebuild it,” the statement stated on Sunday.
Restoring the bridge, according to Bulus Dogo, another local, will enhance connection and boost economic activity throughout Nyido-Tosso Ward and neighbouring settlements.
According to him, “restoring the bridge would improve connectivity, facilitate the movement of people and goods, and support economic activities within Nyido-Tosso Ward and surrounding communities.”
Sikirat Jimoh, a female farmer, stated that farmers who rely on the route to deliver their goods to Baissa, the Kurmi Local Government Area’s administrative headquarters, now face significant challenges due to the collapsed bridge.
According to Jimoh, the bridge’s state has made it harder to move agricultural products, which has frustrated farmers and limited their ability to reach their main market.
“Transporting our farm produce to our main market in Baissa has started to witness frustration, so we are dying in silence as a result of this bridge that is on the verge of being washed away,” she stated.
Additionally, the locals urged development organisations, community leaders, and other interested parties to back initiatives aimed at bringing the government’s attention to the infrastructure issue.
Nonetheless, Moses Maihankeli, the chairman of the local government council and the chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) for Taraba State, stated that his administration had completed the bridge repair plans.
According to Maihankeli, the bridge fell three days ago, and he promised the locals that repairs would start as soon as he returned from Jalingo to Kurmi.
“The collapsed bridge has caught my attention.” Therefore, I want to take action as soon as I return to the local administration,” Maihankeli stated.
The locals cautioned that the issue could get worse if the bridge is neglected further, especially during the rainy season when more rainfall and potential flooding could harm the road and make it more difficult to traverse.
They emphasised that rebuilding the Kufai Bawuru Bridge would facilitate transportation, enhance access to markets and other services, and support farming, trade, and other economic activities throughout Nyido-Tosso Ward and surrounding communities. They urged the authorities to give this project top priority.