Efio-ita Nyok|3 September 2016
Ogoja, Cross River-born social commentator, Prince Thomas Abi Jr., yesterday decried the deplorable condition of a rickety bridge in Ogoja Local Government Area namely the Abakpa Bridge in Ogoja which constitute the only access road from Ndok Junction, Abakpa to the Ogoja main town.
According to Prince Abi, 'This bridge was built many decades ago and it is now old and broken. The bridge is now a death trap for many who ply on the bridge mostly at night'.
'I find it disturbing that the bridge has not been attended to after making several pleas to government', Prince Abi further observed. He was making reference to a plea and similar numerous pleas made in 2015 and even published by Negroidhaven.org
For the ace social commentator, government has to prioritise the reconstruction of the old bridge referred to. He therefore called on the government to fix the dilapidated structure.
In his words, 'I call on the government of Cross River State to immediately carry out repairs on the Abakpa bridge before more havoc is experienced as a result of accident or over floated banks of the bridge'.
Albeit, Prince Abi's narrative of the Abakpa Bridge seem not have gone down well with a cross section of the political establishment in Ogoja especially the Secretary of Council, Aninege Jimmie. According to Jimmie: I appreciate your concern about the welfare of your constituent, but I plead that when your drawing the attention of the authority to an issue you make it as factual as possible, no need for sensationalism. You called the Abakpa bridge 'broken' death trap and claiming lives? For close to three years that I have stayed in council no accident has happened as a result of that bridge, the closest has been the pot holes wen your approaching the bridge from Igoli which has been sorted out. The portion by the bridge head which maybe drew your attention was done by the Chinese firm handling the water project. From the picture your concern seems to be the rails, there has never been any report on the structural defect of that bridge. I will really want to know if you have any such report or you have observed that. The picture you have painted is not a true reflection of what is on ground. I stand to be corrected'.
Prince Abi countered thus: 'Kindly look at the iron rays. Are they not broken? What stops government from building something better? That bridge is old and needs repairs. Do you want it to collapse before it gets attention? Please be reminded that it is a major road'. Ibu Monkom, a 1999 Chairmanship aspirant in Ogoja subscribed to Prince Abi's submission by noting that, 'I appeal for restraint from both sides of the divide. Thee issue of worth is drawing the attention of the authorities to the deplorable situation. Must lives be lost on top of the bridge before we know that the bridge is in bad shape and can cause an accident. It would be wrong to accuse anybody of over statement if one says the deplorable situation has cause accidental death. Please for those who care go under the bridge and see if the bridge is not separating itself from the abutment at the Igoli axis. The work that was done by the Chinese company CGC was just filling concrete on top of the crack where both sides are boiling over. For some years back a former works divisional officer in ministry of works Ogoja drew the attention of government to the problem and nothing was done till date that the problem became noticeable that CGC had to attend to it. Government should please send it expert to do a thorough assessment of the problem and commence rehabilitation before the bridge completely disentangle itself from it foundation. Let's plan ahead than wait for the damage because it be too late. I call on both side to save their energies to get government attention than continue arguing the best way to let this get to government I take a bow'.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)
