Works ministry doesn’t know Uke bridge wobbles

It will be a horrendous catastrophe if River Uke old bridge along Old Karshi-Keffi road in Karu local government area of Nasarawa State is left to collapse.The tragedy will claim lives and property because many motorists and pedestrians are keyed in the use of the old bridge to locate their destinations rather than the new […]

It will be a horrendous catastrophe if River Uke old bridge along Old Karshi-Keffi road in Karu local government area of Nasarawa State is left to collapse.
The tragedy will claim lives and property because many motorists and pedestrians are keyed in the use of the old bridge to locate their destinations rather than the new bridge not far away from the old one.
It is worrisome that many local people still prefer using the old wobbling bridge. Whoever is bothered with the matter will express fear, anxiety, panic and tension.
The old bridge which has lasted many decades was at a time the chief link. Apart from linking Karshi with Keffi and other villages in-between, the bridge has intra-community connection as it connects the people of Upper Uke and Lower Uke.
With the expansion of the Abuja-Keffi expressway in the 90’s a new bridge was built. Unfortunately, the new bridge which is only a kilometre away from the old bridge does not easily provide access to all the existing institutions around the Uke area, a situation which compels many people within and outside the Uke community who want to gain access to some places within the region to simply use the old bridge not minding the imminent danger.
People use the old bridge to locate health, educational, traditional and other institutions in the area such as the Uke General Hospital which is the only government owned hospital in the area, the Nasarawa State zonal office of the Ministry of Education, GSS and GDSS, Uke, Fountain of Knowledge International Academy, Uke among others.
Thus, students, civil servants, traditional rulers, traders among others use the bridge to get to their destinations. Indeed, there are thriving socio-economic activities in the area.
Our reporter who made a trip across the bridge learnt that two vehicles do not cross the bridge simultaneously. As one starts crossing from one end, others coming from the opposite end wait until the one on motion crosses over.
Many pedestrians who use the bridge also wait for an oncoming vehicle to cross before them due to its narrowness and deteriorating state coupled with the fear that they might be mistakenly bruised or hit or knocked down into the river by the vehicle. The bed of the river is replete with heavy natural stones against which the waves rushes vehemently and rowdily.
Though many use the bridge, some motorists and pedestrians feel unsafe. In fact, some have stopped using the bridge due to fears. The okada (commercial motorcycle) rider who took our reporter across the bridge simply refused to cross over because of fear that the bridge might collapse in the process.
“Me, I will not ride on top of this bridge. I don’t want to die. This bridge shakes,” he said. It is observed that motorists do not speed while crossing. The bridge has patches.
 A motorist who was interviewed by our reporter while about to cross the bridge said, “As you can see, this woman is pregnant. This is her month of delivery. I’m taking her to Uke General Hospital. This is the fastest road to use from where she is lives. You don’t expect me to go back and follow the new bridge before returning to the hospital.”
When asked whether it was better for them to lose their lives than to delay by following the secure way,  he simply responded, “God is the giver and taker of life. Nobody knows more than God. If our days are over in this world today, we’ll die even if we follow the right way. So, it’s a matter of choice now.”
An okada rider who gave his name simply as Hassan, said, “Many people are afraid of passing on this bridge because it shakes but I believe it will still last for some time before it finally collapses. It won’t just collapse like that because the materials used in constructing this bridge were original. That is even why this bridge has lasted for this long.”
An electrician who was rushing to cross over said, “For me, I pass here when I have something urgent to do in Uke Lower. When it’s not urgent, I pass through the new bridge. The new bridge takes long time and more money especially if it is on a bike.”
Richard Johnson who noted that the old bridge is now a threat to the lives of the people especially those who live in Upper and Lower Uke called on the government to barricade that road to ensure the safety of lives and property.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Federal Ministry of Works, Theodore Ogaziechi said he does not know if government owns a bridge at Uke.