Succour has finally come the way of the vulnerable communities of Atyap Chiefdom in the Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, as the Member Representing Zango/Jaba Federal Constituency, Hon Amos Gwamna Magaji facilitated the construction of a multi-billion naira bridge.
The bridge construction was at the instance of the lawmaker who is determined to bring succor to communities that were victims of constant attacks from suspected Fulani herdsmen.
When Arewa PUNCH visited the construction site, it was observed that the stretch of the bridge began from Magwafan village, Atakgui, Sako, Gidan, Zaki, and Kibori village and linking over 20 vulnerable communities bordering the Kauru and Kachia Local Government Areas respectively.
One of the locals, Abel Shinkut told Arewa PUNCH that Many women and children who were scampering for their lives during the ongoing attacks by the suspected Fulani herdsmen lost their lives while crossing the river to neighbouring villages.
Shinkut disclosed that for many decades, commuters plying the road had endured severe pains and difficulties, especially during the rainy season.
Our correspondent observes that the project, when completed, will bring a huge relief and boost the economic livelihood of the locals.
Another resident, Mr. Akut Emmanuel lamented that many of his people who have lost their loved ones, especially breadwinners of their families, were turned into internally displaced persons in their ancestral land.
“The lives of many victims’ families are irreparably damaged; these communities do not know when they will recover physically from their injuries or come to terms with their losses, just as many remain deeply traumatised during the past few years.
The Paramount Chief of the Atyap People, Mr. Dominic Gambo Yahaya noted that the multi-billion naira project has rekindled hope and regained the confidence of the communities, indicating that good things are underway.
“These communities were subjected to the most heinous attacks and unending killings of their loved ones.
“From the Palace to those vulnerable communities, it will take you less than 25 minutes if the project is completed, but because of the lack of a bridge it takes us two hours and we have to get to Fadan Chawai in Kauru before accessing some of the hinterlands of those Villages.
“The road through the bridge stretches to Kauru Local Government Area, adding those areas are grossly insecure because there was no accessibility and security agencies could not respond quickly to make any arrest during the crises that were arising at that time.
“So, the construction of this bridge will assist in arresting insecurity, open up so many Villages, and enable us to link up to Kauru Local Government Area easily which is the shortest cut to the Local Government Area to Zaria.
“That project is a wonderful project for us, and the state government support and the office of the SGF is highly commendable,” Gambo Yahaya posited.
The Rep Member, Hon. Amos Gwamna, while fielding questions from Arewa PUNCH, disclosed that the construction of the N3.5 billion bridge project was first conceived when he was seeking his re-election bid.
According to him,”During the campaign, I was going along Kigudu road then, one of my aides named Samson Yawa told me that there’s a road here if not because there’s no bridge we’ll have crossed here and within 10 minutes we’ll get into the villages but it took us over 2 hours to get to our destination.
“On another visit, while I was coming back home, I directed my driver to go through the main road, and I decided to go through the river on Okada to see for myself. So, my aide told me that if a bridge is constructed within 15 minutes, you would have covered a journey that’s taking people over 2 hours.
“I said a prayer, ‘Lord if you can allow me to sit on this seat, I will do whatever is possible to make sure that this bridge is built.
“It was a massive and ambitious dream which I know was not easy to accomplish.
“When these attacks started coming in Zango Kataf during the Covid-19 period, while people were in their own houses, Zango Kataf was having her share of insecurity,” Gwamna recalled.
“So, during this period, I was going back and fro, travelling home to places where there was an attack. I remember in one of my first meetings that we held with all the security agencies and some key stakeholders in the Palace of the Chief for us to look at solutions to this problem, then the military and other security agencies that were in that area, said most of the times when attacks are ongoing before they could respond, the bandits would have already carried out their heinous act and ran away because the bridge was a major setback in combating insecurity.
“Another reason is because someone said it was a transahara route that people were following even before the colonial masters visited here and the river had consumed many lives.
“So, when I heard all these things, I took different engineers to the site to survey the bridge and I can categorically tell you in lobbying and surveying in ensuring that I got the approval for the bridge construction. I think I have personally spent over N50 million.
“I entered villa over 20 times, anybody that I know that could be of help to get this project done was contacted.
“In some areas, I got my hand burnt. I thank God I kept persisting and praying, and somehow, we’ve succeeded. The project is a whooping amount of over N3.5 billion naira, and so far, the money released was N1.5 billion,” he added.
The lawmaker insisted that the project would enhance security and boost the economic livelihood of the locals by easing transportation of their farm produce.”
