Niger: Gov Bello under fire as bridge linking Minna-Bida collapses again

By Adeleye Kunle

Commuters travelling on the Minna-Bida road have lambasted the Niger State Government for the collapse of the bridge at Sabongida village for the third time on the 86 kilometers busy highway.

It would be recalled that the bridge first collapsed in the first week of September this year and was repaired by Niger state Road Maintenance Agency, NIGROMA, which collapsed five days after it was repaired.

The development, it was gathered, has forced commuters going to Bida from Minna to resort to travelling on bush path as an alternative route to Bida after linking Mange Vunla to Lemu, the headquarters of Gbako Local Government Area.

They claimed that the state government is using rehabilitation work on the bridge as a conduit pipe siphoning funds having carried out repairs on two occasions on the same bridge.

Some of the commercial drivers plying the road, one Mohammed Ndabida, described the frequent collapse of bridges along the road as disturbing.

According to him, “We expect the state government to do the needful on some portions on the road by reconstructing the bridges. It is a yearly phenomenon whenever the rain sets in, making it a conduit pipe.”

Josephine Ayo and Musa Suleiman, who were passengers traveling to Bida, told our correspondent that they have been subjected to unnecessary difficulties due to heavy downpour in the area.

They explained that travellers on both commercial and private vehicles going to Bida were left with no choice than to take an alternative road from Lemu the headquarters of Gbako LG to Bida, just as those heading to Minna presently follow Wushishi-Zungeru road to Minna