The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Taraba State has given the state and federal governments a three-month ultimatum to begin reconstruction of the collapsed Namnai bridge in Gassol local government area.
The bridge, which collapsed in August 2024, as observed by our reporter, has remained unattended to for over a year, causing severe hardship for motorists, traders and residents of the affected community.
The Namnai bridge, as further noticed, serves as a vital transport corridor linking the North-East, North-Central and Southern regions of the country, and its collapse has disrupted the flow of goods into Taraba State, resulting in increased prices of essential commodities.
Disturbed by what they described as prolonged government neglect, members of the coalition on Sunday visited the site of the collapsed bridge and vowed to pursue all legitimate means to ensure urgent intervention.
The group warned that failure by the authorities to act within the three-month deadline would compel it to mobilize 5,000 signatures and invoke the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to demand accountability.
“If the government failed to commence work on the bridge after the 90 days ultimatum, we shall go out and collect 5000 signatures and then invoke the FOI act to demand for accountability”, Bello said.
Speaking at the site, the coalition’s Secretary, Bello Adamu Bako, expressed concern that both levels of government had yet to fix the bridge sixteen months after its collapse. He said the coalition had unanimously agreed to invoke the FOI Act should the perceived lukewarm attitude of the government persist.
The coalition through Bako cited reported loss of lives, destruction of goods worth millions of naira and the untold hardship faced by motorists as consequences of the collapsed bridge, stressing that urgent government intervention had become imperative.
He also commended an individual who constructed a makeshift bridge to alleviate the suffering of road users.
On his path, BudgIT-Tracker Regional Coordinator for the North-East, Samuel Obibisong, expressed disappointment over what he described as government indifference to such a critical piece of infrastructure.
He called on both the state and federal governments to urgently put mechanisms in place to fast-track the bridge’s reconstruction.
“Leaders with empathy would not abandon infrastructure of such importance.The collapse of the bridge had led to loss of lives, property and farmlands,” Obibisong lamented.
He said repairing the bridge would restore hope and bring relief to affected communities.
Motorists and drivers who spoke with DAILY POST, also expressed frustration over what they described as the politicization of the bridge’s reconstruction.
They commended the individual who provided a temporary crossing and urged the government to be more responsive and proactive in addressing the plight of the people.
Taraba: CSOs issue 90-day ultimatum over collapsed Namnai bridge
