Residents of Ikot Mfon in Etinan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, have called on the state government to urgently rebuild the collapsed Ikot Mfon/Ndiya bridge, which has claimed at least three lives, including schoolchildren.
The bridge, originally constructed by the military during the Nigerian Civil War, plays a vital role in connecting motorists and traders transporting agricultural produce.
However, since its collapse in 2011, the community has been isolated, severely affecting social and economic activities.
News360 Nigeria reports that the community leader Ekaette Akpan, who represented the village head, expressed deep concern over the prolonged neglect of the bridge.
She emphasized that residents have struggled for over a decade with mobility challenges, urging the government to intervene before more lives are lost.
“Since the bridge collapsed, more than three people have died while trying to cross, including schoolchildren. Apart from the loss of lives, our economic activities have also suffered because this road and bridge are the only access points to Ndiya, which connects us to Eket, Oron, and other parts of Akwa Ibom,” Akpan said.
Flanked by the deputy village head, Obong Safety Tony, Akpan urged Governor Umo Eno to intervene urgently to prevent further casualties.
Meanwhile, a member representing Etinan State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Uduak Ekpo-Ufot, had in July 2023 raised the issue before the House, calling for immediate government intervention.
Ekpo-Ufot, in his motion, noted that the bridge, constructed around 1970, had become a death trap, forcing residents to rely on unsafe boats to access education, healthcare, and other essential services in neighbouring communities.
He warned that unless urgent steps are taken, more lives could be lost, and economic hardship in the area would worsen.
