Taraba: 5 months after motorists struggle over collapsed Namnai bridge

Five months after the collapse of Namnai Bridge along the Jalingo-Wukari trunk A Federal Highway in Taraba State, both Taraba and federal governments are yet to begin repairs despite the cries of motorists and passengers who ply the road. The bridge, which collapsed in August 2024, links the southern part of the country to the […]

Five months after the collapse of Namnai Bridge along the Jalingo-Wukari trunk A Federal Highway in Taraba State, both Taraba and federal governments are yet to begin repairs despite the cries of motorists and passengers who ply the road.

The bridge, which collapsed in August 2024, links the southern part of the country to the North East region, as well as the Federal Capital Territory and Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa states. It is the gateway for economic and social activities in the states and beyond.

The bridge was completely washed away after a heavy rainfall thereby grounding economic activities in the local communities in the areas.

Motorists are also forced to take long routes as they have to divert through Garba-Chede town which is several kilometres away before reaching their destinations on both sides.

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This has led to a rise in the cost of transportation and the prices of goods.

Daily Trust reports that for days after the collapse, the member representing Gassol-Bali Federal Constituency, Jafaru Idi Ciroma, hired engine boats to ferry small vehicles and people across the river free of charge.

Similarly, the owners of engine boats engaged in ferrying people and vehicles charged between N3,000 and N10,000 for their services per trip.

Also, findings by our correspondent at the site of the collapsed bridge revealed that one Hamza Alhaji Jamis from Mutumbiyu town, the headquarters of Gassol LGA, has constructed a temporary narrow bridge to ease hold and enable the movement of vehicles including trailers.

With this intervention, vehicles no longer have to divert from Jalingo or Mutumbiyu to Garba-Chede.

The Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Aminu Alkali, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Managing Director of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) Mohammed Goni, have visited the site of the collapsed bridge and promised immediate intervention.

One of the interventions the Taraba State government pledged was the provision of a military floating bridge.

However, to the dismay of the people, especially motorists plying the road, nothing has been done on the bridge five months after it collapsed.

“We are dismayed that since the collapse of this bridge, no action was taken by both the federal and Taraba State governments to show that they are concerned with the plight of thousands of people using the road.

“The collapse of the Namnai Bridge has caused economic setbacks for the people of Taraba State and motorists plying the Jalingo-Wukari road. It caused a hike in transportation fares and prices of goods and services,” Bala Adamu, a transporter, said.

He said people in the state were disappointed anytime they needed the assistance of the federal government on issues that required its quick intervention.

He said two bridges in the North East zone collapsed almost at the same time as the Namnai Bridge but the two, located along Yola-Gombe and Gombe-Bauchi roads, were all attended to by the federal government.

“To our surprise, the bridge along Yola-Gombe road, near Savanna Sugar Company is being reconstructed while the one along Gombe-Bauchi road was reconstructed, but nothing was done on the Namnai Bridge,” he said

Mr Felix James, a trader, who transports goods from the East of the country to Taraba, Gombe and Bauchi states, said it was very unfair for the federal government to neglect the collapsed Namnai Bridge while at the same time it was attending to similar bridges located along other federal highways in nearby states.

“It is very sad to see that the Namnai Bridge, which collapsed six months ago, is yet to attract the attention of the federal government. There should have been an urgent intervention by providing a military floating bridge which the state government promised to install but it had failed to do that,” he said.

James advised stakeholders in Taraba State, including the governor, the minister and members of the National Assembly, to mount pressure and lobby the federal government to embark on immediate repair of the bridge before the next rainy season.

Meanwhile, the senator representing Taraba Central Senatorial zone, Alhaji Haruna Manu, disclosed that there are ongoing efforts to ensure that work on the Namnai Bridge commences before the rainy season.

Manu said apart from raising the matter on the floor of the Senate under matters of urgent importance, he had personally visited the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to discuss the need for the speedy reconstruction of the bridge.

“As you know, this bridge links the eastern part of the country to all the states in the North East, if it is not reconstructed before the next rainy season, it will ground economic activities in all the states in the North East,” he stated.

The senator further disclosed that stakeholders from the state are concerned about the bridge and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to listen to the cries of the people of Taraba by giving approval for the immediate construction of the bridge just like the Lamurde Bridge in Adamawa State.

Also, Hon. Ja’faru Yakubu Chiroma, the member representing Bali/Gassol federal constituency said he has equally raised the issue on the floor of the House of Representatives under matters of urgent importance and urged the federal government to urgently reconstruct the bridge.

The lawmaker disclosed that immediately after the bridge collapsed, he mobilised two ferries to the site of the bridge to assist motorists crossing the river without costs.

“Apart from all these efforts, I also visited the North East Development Commission and requested their intervention. They came to the site and took the assessment of the damage with a promise to come to our rescue,” he said.

Hon. Chiroma stressed the need for urgent and collaborative action towards the reconstruction of the bridge which, he said, was strategic to the people of the North East and the entire northern Nigeria.

Also, a source at the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja told Daily Trust that the two members of the National Assembly from the area would have to intensify their lobby and also mount more pressure to ensure that the bridge is captured in the 2025 budget.

“Unless the Namnai Bridge is captured in the budget, the reconstruction of the will not be possible this year and therefore stakeholders in Taraba State, including the governor and the two National Assembly members, who are doing their best in ensuring the bridge is reconstructed, would have to intensify effort before the arrival of the rainy season.

Daily Trust investigations also revealed that another bridge along the same road is on the verge of collapsing.

The bridge, close to Iware town and about 20 kilometres from the collapsed Namnai Bridge, also requires urgent attention.