Collapse of Bridges across North-east  Linked to Climate Change

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

The Managing Director of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Alhaji Mohammad Alkali, has ascribed the perennial collapse of bridges across the North-east states to effects of climate change.

Addressing journalists during an assessment tour of the collapsed Namnai Bridge in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, Alkali stated that the Northeast and its components are the most affected by climate change.

Besides the Namnai Bridge, the 45-year-old Mayo-Kam Bridge, which is 88.5 kilometres on the outskirts of Jalingo on Bali road, also collapsed due to the impact of flooding thereby cutting off access to some local government areas, including Bali, Gashaka, Sardauna, Kurmi, Donga, Takum and Ussa.

He lamented that the effects and impact of climate change in the zone has imposed significant pressure on the governments and inhabitants of the area who are forced to bear the burden of the attendant socio-economic disruptions.

According to him, “The North-east region and its components are the most affected by climate change and it has put significant pressure on both the government and inhabitants of the region

“I was in Adamawa State two weeks ago for the same problem. Bauchi State has its own share, so is Gombe State too. Now we have also seen the same problem in Taraba State where some bridges have been washed away few days ago.”

The NEDC boss pleaded with the governments and people of the affected states to regularly do an assessment of the state of climate change prone facilities and infrastructure in their areas to prevent the collapse of such facilities.

Nevertheless, he assured them that the commission would not be deterred by the challenges but work with the respective state governments to find lasting solutions to the recurrent bridge collapse across the region.

He added: “Right now we have to sit down and look at the problem comprehensively and provide solutions that would be durable for the future. It will be a collaborative work with the state governments so that our people can heave a sigh of relief.”

Describing the scenario, which has compelled commuters to pay as much as N5,000 to ferry operators to cross the river as endemic, Alkali promised that a temporary solution would immediately be provided in the interim to reconnect the state economically, while a permanent solution would be put in place subsequently.

The managing director also used the opportunity of the assessment tour to inspect some of the commission’s ongoing projects at Wukari, Bali, Zing and Jalingo LGAs of the state where he expressed satisfaction with the pace of work at the sites.