An age-long wooden bridge of Akadoro River in Umubu-Ekka in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, which is said to have caused the death of five persons in the recent time has aroused the attention of some major stakeholders, who are currently appealing to the state government for its replacement with concrete.
The President of Umubi-Ekka Development Union, Mr. Mathew Nwokeh, told South-East Punch that the bridge is not only life threatening, but also agent of death to his people and other neighbouring communities, comprising Inyere, Nkomoro and Ogboji.
Nwokeh added that the non-availability of modern structure across the river had prevented them from accessing Agba in the Ishielu Local Government Area of the same state and Enugu.
He said, ”From the bridge, if repaired, it is not far to the place called 135 and even Enugu State and regrettably, the bridge, which had claimed many lives was not remembered during the construction of the 34 Unity Bridges done by the Chief Elechi regime.”
He added that many women of the area had before now lost their lives in several occasions that the water crossed its bank and appealed for government intervention to forestall future occurrence and boost the economic activities of the people.
HE added, “Many politicians had used the construction of the bridge as campaign promises during their visits to our area until some years back when the former senator for Ebonyi Central senatorial district, Mr. Obinna Ogba, started the work but unluckily to us, the intended modern bridge was abandoned half way.”
Mr. Nwokeh further revealed that a certain member of the community, Mrs. Nwoba Laka, drowned in the same river in August, 1991, among other victims, adding that the bridge has separated them from a part of the community and three other different communities.
He continued, “During my school days, many parents usually carry their children and wards across the ancient bridg,e but whenever we notice heavy flooding, we would stay at home for about two or three days waiting for the water to subside.”
He informed that the community had written to National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the past state governments through many quarters, but all to no avail, even as he appealed that his people should be remembered by the present leadership under Mr. Francis Nwifuru.
“There are many polling units that produce over 500 voters respectively, we are always eager to exercise our franchise during the elections, but after all, no one remembers us any longer in the area of infrastructural development,” he explained.
Corroborating Mr Nwokeh, the President of Azu-Ekkam Youths General Assembly, Mr. Solomon Elem, added that the bridge, if constructed would make travelling to Enugu State easier for his people.
He said, “Our outcry had before now attracted the attention of Senator Obinna Ogba, who embarked on the bridge construction around three years ago, but unluckily for us, the work was later abandoned.”
He disclosed that the former council chairman, late Stanley Uhuo, had tried to fix the bridge between 1996 and 1997, but the man was not successful before the same work was taken by Mr. Ogba whose effort was allegedly bastardised by the incompetent civil engineers.
He also said that after three children of the same family drowned in the river in 2022, the community through the councilor of Ekka Ward, Mr. Onyemachi Nwankwo on September, 2023, approached the present Ebonyi State Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Ikeuwa Omabe, who also an indigene of the place over the problem.
He said, “Before now, three children from Igbudu Ekka village who went out in search of a particular soup item dialectically known as ‘achi,’ two commercial motorcycle riders and another woman had died in the process of crossing the bridge, bringing the total of victims in recent time to six.
“And due to the capital intensive nature of the work, the community cannot do it, this is why we are calling for government assistance in the area.”
Mr. Elem further requested for the combined effort of other stakeholders alongside the government officials in the appeal, as according to him, such move would attract the state governor’s attention easily.
Another stakeholder, Mr. Friday Ngwuta, said that both the river and its bridge have been hindering the economic growth of the community as many farmers could not convey their farm produces to the urban areas in large quantity due to lack of accessible road.
Ngwuta added, “Additionally, the deposit of sharp sand in a section of the river has not been harvested because of the same problem, actually, we are in need of government assistance over this perennial problem.”
He also disclosed that besides other people who had fallen victims of the evil bridge, the same unpleasant wind had blown on the family of Mr. Igboke Omaa, as one of its members had drowned too.
Ekka Town Union Secretary, Mr. Celestine Ikegw,u said that the place is one of the unity bridges abandoned by the previous administration of the state, connecting his people and their sisters and brothers at Ndiegu Ekka of the same community alongside other communities, adding that the flood from the river usually prevent them from accessing their crops during rainy season.
He added, “We, as a community are calling on our sons and daughters representing us at various cadres of the government to make an appeal concerning the bridge on our behalf.”
