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Communities cry out over poor state of rural infrastructure in Akwa Ibom 

Communities cry out over poor state of rural infrastructure in Akwa Ibom 

Communities in Akwa Ibom have cried out over the poor state of rural infrastructure including roads and bridges which they say is affecting economic activities in their areas.

The is coming less than three weeks,  after the Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly,  Aniekan Bassey directed the committee on works to visit some communities in Ikono Local Government Area; Nkwot Ikot Nseyen – Nung Ukim and Iton Ikot Ito – Iton Mmong bridges, following the appeal by a  lawmaker, Asuquo Nnana Udo who represents the area.

A community leader in Onna Local Government Area who craved anonymity during interaction with newsmen said, collapsed bridges littering across the State in recent times are now becoming death traps due to their abandonment by the government.

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He said the. Ikot Akpan Mkpe – Ikot Akpa Ekop bridge saying, the collapsed and abandoned bridge which was constructed in the ’70s used to provide a thoroughfare for traders traveling from Onna to the popular Ukam market in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, but today because of its collapsed state, people are forced to resort to the alternative route of longer distance.

According to him, ‘‘Ikot Akpan Mkpe – Ikot Akpa Ekop barely bridge was constructed in the ’70s linking part of Onna with Mkpat Enin by providing a thoroughfare for traders going to Ukam Market in Mkpat Enin.

‘‘Now it has collapsed and abandoned thereby becoming a death trap to people traversing the area to Ukam market’’.

Some of the collapsed bridges according to checks include Nkwot Edem Edet in Ikono council area,  Aka – Ikot Udo Eno in Ibiono local government, and Mbiaso – Ikot Ukpong in Obot Akara Local Government.

Others are; Ikot Inyang Okop – Ikot Ekpang, Asana – Ibianga bridges located in Mkpat Enin LGA, Ibikpe –Mbiakong bridge in Uruan LGA, Ikot Mfon –Ndiya bridge, Afaha Ikot Idem Udo – Ntan bridge in Etinan linking Onna LGA, Mbiaso Enyin Bridge and kot Nsong – Ikot Enyienge Bridge linking Etinan with Mkpat Enin amongst others.

One of the indigenes from Obot Akara Local Government, Michael Umoh who commented on the state of Mbiaso – Ikot Ukpong bridge stated that the situation was bad that the community could no longer wait for the government to construct the bridge.

He said they rather task themselves to make the bridge passable, by levying members of the community and passers-by to contribute money they used to buy materials to construct an improvised bridge to aid the free movement of goods since the road is linking Akwa Ibom with Abia State.

Umoh expressed worry that the collapsed bridge had affected the economy of the area so much that, traders from Obot Akara would have to go through an alternative road before they could go to Ikot Ekpene to either buy or sell their goods.

He called on the State Government to help the community by constructing a new bridge adding that, why they could use the road now, is because it was done by a concerned indigene of the community.

Further checks revealed that these bridges/collapsed roads play an important role in the State’s economy by providing access to farmers and traders to evacuate their goods to other towns.

Their present state however is posing a great danger to the economic well being of the people.

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