THE bridge collapse at Fajewa town of Takai Local Government Area of Kano state is causing tremendous hardship and economic constraints to villagers of the four affected communities, News Point Nigeria’s investigations reveal.
The collapsed bridge, which went over the Takai river, is just 10 kilometers from the Takai Local Govt headquarters, and it connects four villages and two markets in the area.
The affected villages are Fajewa, Birnin Bako, Tumbushi, and Gidan Malam all in Takai Local Government and this newspaper also gathered that it is also the road that links to Bauchi State.
A visit to the town by our correspondent shows how women and children are carried by youths on their shoulders to cross over the drained river for their daily activities.
A villager, Malam Audu Nabawa told News Point Nigeria that the collapse of the bridge have hindered villagers in all four towns from access to hospitals, markets and schools.
“The bridge collapsed about four weeks ago and the govt is aware but nothing has been done. The collapse of the bridge has made life difficult for many of us in these villages. We can’t go to the markets with our farm products, our children can’t go to islamiyya schools and the sick are stranded at home.
“In Fajewa and Gidan Malam alone, we have lost three pregnant women and two elderly men from sickness as a result of the collapsed bridge. We are appealing to the govt to please come to our rescue even if it’s with a makeshift bridge. While a bigger one is constructed”, Nabawa stated.
Also speaking, a married seamstress in Birnin Bako village, Mariya Tasi’u said, they resorted to being carried on the shoulders by the youths because as it is the women in the four towns have no choice.
“We have no choice, we need to go to the markets and hospitals and neighboring towns to get other basic things and the only way to do so is by crossing the river on the shoulder of one of the boys.
“They charge an average fee of N200 or N300 per crossing and if you have a luggage, the price is between N500 to N700 per crossing. Imagine that in this economic hardship”, she lamented.
On his part, the Chief Imam of the Fajewa mosque, Malam Umar Babba expressed disappointment with authorities at both state and local govt levels for what he called a deliberate negligence to make his people suffer as a result of the collapsed bridge.
“The govt has simply abandoned us for weeks and all efforts to get them to repair the bridge or do something has proven abortive. It’s always one excuse and the other but elections will come and we will never forget this”, he added.
When contacted the member repressing Takai Constituency in the State Assembly, Musa Ali Kachako said, he has presented a motion for the repair of the bridge and he is awaiting a reply from the govt.
He then pleaded with the relevant emergency authorities in the state to as a matter of urgency look into the issue of the collapsed bridge to stop the sufferings of the affected communities.
However, the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, Kano (SEMA), Alhaji Isyaku Abdullahi Kubarachi, had yet to respond to enquiries when contacted on the issue as of the time of filing this report.