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NIGER, Nigeria (NAN)- President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Federal Ministry of Works to repair the bridge that was washed away by recent floods, which connect the northern and southern regions of the country in Mokwa, Niger State.
Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, shared this information on Tuesday while leading a delegation from the ministry on a condolence visit to Mokwa to offer sympathies to the residents affected by the flood disaster that occurred on May 29, claiming 158 lives.
During the visit, Goronyo informed the village chief of Mokwa that the president had directed the ministry to establish an access route for vehicles and to take all necessary steps to restore the damaged bridge.
He mentioned, “The President clearly instructed me to come and express condolences to the government and people of Niger State regarding this unfortunate incident.
He emphasized that we should do everything we can to restore the access route for vehicles over the bridge that was swept away by the flood.
The president ordered that we create an access road for vehicular movement and establish a route due to the significant number of heavy vehicles transporting goods from the North to the South.”
He also stated that the ministry would enhance its focus on infrastructure development within the country, especially in Niger State and the federal road networks, due to its crucial role in connecting the North and South.
In response, the village head of Mokwa (Ndalila of Mokwa), Mohammed Aliyu, reported that more than 200 homes and four bridges had collapsed, with many individuals still unaccounted for.
He mentioned that the affected bridges included the rail bridge and the primary bridge linking the North and South.
He urged the government to look into resettling those who were displaced.
Additionally, the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, expressed gratitude to Tinubu for the condolence visit and conveyed appreciation for the federal government's concern.
