By Emmanuel Awari
Jalingo, Taraba – Senator Haruna Manu, representing Taraba Central in the Senate, along with other prominent figures from the state, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently address the collapsed Namnai Bridge along the Jalingo-Wukari Federal Highway.
The bridge, which collapsed in August 2024 due to heavy rainfall, has left residents and motorists stranded, severely affecting the local economy and connectivity to the rest of the country.
The Namnai Bridge served as a critical link between the southern part of Nigeria and the northeast region, as well as connecting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighboring states such as Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa.
Its collapse has caused significant disruptions in transportation, forcing vehicles to take a detour of approximately 120 kilometers via Garba-Chede-Mutum Biyu and Jalingo roads, crippling business activities and increasing transportation costs.
Senator Haruna Manu expressed frustration over the lack of intervention from both the state and federal governments in the five months since the collapse.
“Despite promises from the state government to provide a military floating bridge, no such intervention has materialized,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the bridge for economic activities in the northeast.
The senator further pointed out that other bridges in the northeast, such as those along the Yola-Gombe and Gombe-Bauchi roads, had been reconstructed shortly after similar collapses, raising concerns about the government’s response to the situation in Taraba.
“I have personally visited the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to discuss the urgent need for reconstruction,” said Senator Manu.
“If this bridge is not rebuilt before the rainy season, it will halt economic activities in the entire northeast region.”
The senator also called on President Tinubu to approve the immediate reconstruction of the Namnai Bridge, citing its strategic importance to the people of Taraba and the entire northeast.
He likened the situation to the urgent reconstruction of the Larmurde Bridge in Adamawa State, which received swift attention from the federal government.
Hon. Ja’faru Yakubu Chiroma, Member of the House of Representatives for the Bali/Gassol federal constituency, also raised the issue on the floor of the House under “matters of urgent importance.”
Chiroma explained that after the bridge collapsed, he mobilized ferries to assist stranded motorists at no cost. He also reached out to the North East Development Commission, which conducted an assessment of the damage and promised to intervene.
“The bridge is crucial for the people of the northeast and the entire northern Nigeria. Immediate action is necessary to prevent further economic disruption,” Chiroma stressed.
Prominent Taraba indigenes have called for intensified lobbying efforts from the state’s lawmakers, urging them to meet with President Tinubu before the onset of the rainy season to ensure the timely reconstruction of the bridge.