ABIA MONARCH RAISES ALARM OVER BRIDGE LINKING IMO, ABIA, FEARS COLLAPSE

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By: Muftau Fatimo

The traditional ruler of Ubaha Oriendu Ancient Kingdom in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, Eze Phillip Ajomiwe, has raised the alarm over the deteriorating condition of a bridge linking Abia and Imo states through the Ubaha Oriendu-Ihite Uboma axis, warning that the structure could collapse if urgent repairs are not carried out.

Ajomiwe expressed concern while inspecting the extent of damage to the bridge, lamenting that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had failed to respond to repeated warnings about its condition.

The monarch said flooding caused by persistent rainfall in September damaged part of the bridge, raising fears that the structure could collapse without immediate engineering intervention.

He called on the NDDC, the Abia State Government and relevant federal agencies to urgently rehabilitate the bridge and prevent its complete collapse.

Describing the bridge as a vital economic and social link for agrarian communities, Ajomiwe noted that farmers, fishermen and other residents rely on the route for easier movement between the two states.

He warned that the collapse of the structure would impose severe hardship on residents and undermine the purpose for which the infrastructure was constructed.

The traditional ruler disclosed that he had written to the NDDC in previous years to draw attention to the deteriorating condition of the bridge.

According to him, the commission had assured him that the rehabilitation request would be included in its budget, but no action had been taken.

Ajomiwe appealed to the commission to fulfil its commitment, stressing that immediate palliative measures were necessary to prevent erosion from causing further damage.

“I am appealing to the NDDC to fulfil its promise because what we are seeing here is devastating. If nothing is done, the bridge may totally collapse and our people living on the other side of the river will be cut off,” he said.

Another Bridge Collapses In Abia Community

In a related development, the Ngada Bridge, which connects Ngada Isuochi community in Umunneochi Local Government Area with neighbouring communities, has collapsed, disrupting human and vehicular movement.

The member representing Umunneochi Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Umeh Mathias, confirmed the incident while responding to enquiries from the media

The lawmaker reportedly promised to take action on the matter as the collapse continues to affect movement within the affected communities.