Collapsed Bridges: Residents Of Spring Road Send SOS To A’Ibom Govt

Rosemary Essen/Onofiok Sunday, Immaculata Essien

IKOT EKPENE

An appeal has been made to the Akwa Ibom State government to do everything possible to construct the collapsed bridge along spring road in Ikot Ekpene.

The residents of the community who made the appeal recently in an interview with The Pioneer, said the call became necessary considering the suffering which the collapsed bridge has subjected the people to go through.

The principal, Goretti Girls Secondary Commercial School, Mrs Mfonobong Felix, said, “The bad road did not start today and the total collapse happened last year. We have written to the state government over the deplorable situation of the bridge but uptil today nothing has been done to address the situation.”

She maintained that the other road which they now used to get to the school has been made possible through the help of the youths of the community. “They do this by clearing and always filling the pot holes, a development that has made it possible for motorists and cyclist to also use the road,” adding that during the rainy season the hills on the road are always slippery.

She noted that the total breakdown of the road has really affected those living in the community together with the students.

Also speaking, a student of the college, Miss Christabel Denis Emmanuel, said due to the broken bridge and bad road some of their students are no more coming to school, adding that some that are still coming are now managing another road called Old Prison Road.

Emmanuel appealed to the state government to come to their aid and repair the broken bridge to prevent loss of lives in the community.

 Elder Ezekiel Udo Akpan, one of the elders and resident of spring road, said the bad condition of the road greatly affected their businesses.

“The truth is that the bad situation of this road and the collapsed bridge has subjected us to severe sufferings, and if something is not done urgently by the state government to address the situation, our suffering will only be compounded,” Akpan stated.

He called on the state government to intervene and help address the bad situation in the interest of the people and the community especially as another rainy season is fast approaching.