Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA),Kebbi State office has restored two collapsed bridges linking various communities in Argungu local government and Niger Republic.
It could be recalled that few bridges within Argungu Council linking Augie and Niger Republic were damaged by flood due to over flowing of River Rima and heavy downfall few weeks ago.
While speaking with newsmen, the FERMA's Engineer in- charge of Kebbi state, Malam Rilwanu Usman, said that his team of engineers had been working on the section of the road for the past 10 days.According to him, ” as you can see, the bridge Number three along Argungu -Bui road whose approach was cut- off by heavy floods, thereby causing untold hardship to the people of that community has been restored today.
"We are able to open the road today, while the work progresses on bridge Number five to avert cut-off and also the entire stretch of Argungu -Bui road," Usman said.
Some residents of Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi state have also commended FERMA for restoring the two collapsed bridges linking various communities in the state and Niger Republic.One Malam Shu’aibu Aliyu, a resident from Augie Local Government Area, said that the collapsed bridges inflicted hardships on the traders and commercial drivers from their area.
He said: ” Argungu town is like a home to us, as most of us from Augie area come to businesses in the town on daily basis.
“Some of us from Augie leave Argungu for our area in the night and we have no any hesitation as our road and the bridges were excellently motorable but when the surging floods ensued and caused havoc to our farmlands and bridges we were completely devastated and disengaged from the people in th rest of the state,” he said.
Aliyu said that the restoration of the bridges brought consolation and hope that their loses would soon be replaced.
“We commend the FERMA, youths in Argungu and state government for ensuring that we are back to the road again.
“We will bounce back to our former life and businesses, ” he hoped.
Also, Malam Manu Maimota, a commercial driver from Kangiwa area of Dandi Local Government said , “I am particularly happy with the repairs and reopening of the road. Our means of livelihood was stagnated when the bridges were completely destroyed because this is the only road we fly if we want to come to Argungu; the other road linking Kangiwa to Makers in Birnin Kebbi was collapsed too.
“But now with this repairs, our hope has been rekindled and soon we will replace what we lost to the floods last month,” he said.