By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate has raised the alarm over the imminent collapse of the Zungeru Bridge in Niger State.
It accordingly called on the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the Ministry of Works, and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to immediately repair, rehab, and reconstruct the bridge.
It also urged the Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to conduct structural assessments of the old Zungeru Bridge and implement measures to avert further collapse, calling for relevant authorities to evaluate the state of bridges across the country.
The Senate resolved that the emergency action’s funding should come from the contingency fund domiciled in the Ministry of Works and Service Wide Vote in the Ministry of Finance.
Resolutions to these effects were sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Sani Musa (APC Niger East).
Musa, in the motion, lamented the Zungeru Bridge, a critical Federal infrastructure that provided access across the Kaduna River.
He said due to its deteriorating condition and lousy shape, traffic has been diverted to the old bridge, originally designed for railway use but currently serving both rail and motor vehicle traffic.
He added that the old bridge is under severe pressure as a result of the diversion, posing a significant threat of collapse, which could lead to catastrophic consequences.
He added that over 1,000 vehicles pass through the route daily to facilitate the movement of people, essential goods, and food items.
According to him, the diversion and disruption caused by the bridge’s current statebridge’s current state have invariably restricted human and economic activities.
He said food supplies were particularly affected, and there was heightened insecurity in the areas, thereby occasioning hardships for the residents and travellers.
He warned that if urgent intervention measures are not taken to address the infrastructural challenge, the continuous use of the old bridge will have devastating social and economic consequences.
He said it could further aggravate insecurity and disrupt national supply chains, which will have far-reaching effects on the citizenry’s well-being.
