Chanchanji bridge, a death trap for Taraba farmers

FARMERS living along Takum, Wukari, Donga, Local Government areas of Taraba State have declared that Chanchanji Bridge located at Wukari/Takum federal road has turned to a death trap to commuters.

The farmers who spoke to TribuneOnline at Peva Market in Takum local government, described the silence of the federal government over the Chanchanji Bridge as a deliberate move to negates the well-being of the people of the area.

While revealing the sufferings of both farmers, government workers and contractors of Kashimbila Federal Multipurpose Dame who are working within the area, Elder Denis Orkuma Nev said the present condition of the bridge is not only hindering the federal government Contract that is ongoing within the area but also delayed evacuation of farm produce out of the villages by farmers.

Orkuma who spoke with strong words also called on the Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, to double his efforts by putting more pressure on the federal government to come to the aid of the people of the area by constructing the bridge which serves as a link to both marketers, farmers and the Kashimbila Dame Contractors who are currently working within the area.

“The bridge is now a death trap to our farmers, we can’t wait till a number of people are being killed by the bridge, there is no other alternative route for the farmers and their buyers to follow, we appreciate the efforts of Governor Darius Ishaku who have been pressurizing the Federal Government to construct the bridge but he should do more, federal government must see reasons why this road is important.

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“The farming activities within this area is the only means which we use to discourage our youths from going into criminality, we are begging that there should be an access road where the youths can engage in farming, there will buyers.

“This market here (Peva), is the hub of agricultural commercial activities for farm produce and other relative products, the federal road we are talking about also serves as the fastest track for those who want to access the popular Kashimbila Federal Multi-Purpose Dame, therefore, the Federal Government, as a matter of fact, need to come quickly to construct the road and the bridge.

“The bridge is looking fearfully, it will sink any moment and there will be a disaster if that happens, let the government be proactive rather than coming to compensate families who lost their loved ones over such accidents.

TribuneOnline while in the area gathered that the Chanchanji Bridge was constructed in 1967 under the military Leadership of former head of state Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

A source who spoke to TribuneOnline, Alhaji Sule Chanchanji, also revealed that former president Olusegun Obasanjo was the project manager at the site of the bridge while he was a Civil Engineer in the Army.

“The military constructed the bridge to access the Ada Barrack in Takum, it was in 1967, that was the time I met the former president Olusegun Obasanjo, he was the site Manager here before he became Head Of State,” Sule told TribuneOnline.

When contacted, the Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, told Journalist that the Federal Government have neglected not only the Chanchanji Bridge but almost all the federal roads in Taraba State.

Governor Ishaku said at the time of briefing Journalist, five other bridges along Wukari/Jalingo federal high way were also destroyed by rain, he regretted the actions of the federal government to the state of federal roads in Taraba State.

“It is not that I have not been making my efforts to see that my people are traveling with no fears on the federal government roads in Taraba State, when I came into government three years ago, I wrote and demanded that Jalingo, Kona, Lau federal road should be given to me so that I will construct it because the road was terrible, the Federal Government approved and I constructed but to my surprise up till now I have not been given the funds from the federal government.

“We have several monies like that for construction of federal roads which the state government took over to better the traveling conditions of our people that the federal government have refused to pay us, these are federal roads that can simply be constructed if there is seriousness.

“When I discovered the worst condition of the bridges on Wukari/Jalingo federal high way, I also wrote to the Minister of Works and Housing, there is no approval from the Minister as we speak, I kept disturbing but to no avail, I use my phone to call and send massages but to a point, he stop picking my calls, that is the situation we found ourselves in Taraba State.

Ishaku asked Journalist to seek the attention of the Minister for Power, Works and Housing to get to the root of the matter and save the impending disaster on the federal roads in Taraba State.