Member representing Lafia North Constituency at the Nasarawa State in the House of Assembly, Esson Mairiga, has appealed to the federal and state governments to hasten the completion of Assakio – Ashige bridge before the rainy season properly sets in.

He said he made the appeal considering the terrible experience by those plying the road.

Mr Maigari made the appeal when he visited the scene of the collapsed bridge on Friday in Assakio, Lafia Local Government Area (LGA).

The lawmaker said that the road which links different agricultural communities if not urgently tackled, will affect food security thereby hindering their agricultural and socio-economic activities.

He lamented the slow pace of the work and called on the contractor handling the project to, as a matter of urgency, hasten to complete the work within the shortest possible time.

The lawmaker said if the contractor doesn’t have the capacity to handle the work, the Federal Government should revoke the contract and give it to a more competent hand.

“People are suffering as a result of this collapsed bridge.

“Some of the vehicles that are trying to access alternative roads couldn’t make it and resulted in the destruction of valuables worth millions of naira. This is uncalled for and very pathetic.

“My appeal is that the government should rise up to the occasion before the main rainy season sets in properly,” he said.

According to him, this is the alternative road to Plateau state.

Motorists from Shendam, Yelwa, Kurgwi, Lafia, among others, go on this road every day.

“Locals are using the road to go to the market and farms, once
the road is cut off, all economic activities within the axis will collapse

“Therefore, there is the need for government to act fast to complete the bridge,” he added.

Mr Mairiga called on the people and motorists to exercise patience as effort is in place to talk to those responsible to see to the urgent completion of the bridge.

“I want to assure you that I will leave no stone unturned to make sure that the road is put to use within the shortest possible time,” he emphasised.

Also speaking, the youth leader, Yakuza/Ashige community, Daniel Agya, said it was unfortunate that the bridge could not be fixed after more than seven weeks with the commencement of work.

He sympathised with the people of the area and travellers, who are suffering on a daily basis as a result of the collapsed bridge.

In an interview, a driver, Usman Nura, who was coming from Shendam to Lafia and got trapped, lamented bitterly on the non-completion of the bridge.

He called on the government to act fast in order to put the road back to use to ease the suffering of motorists and other road users.

(NAN)