Niger assembly issues ultimatum to works ministry as Minna-Bida road collapses

The Niger house of assembly says it has given the ministry of works 48 hours to repair the collapsed Minna-Bida road in the state.

According to NAN, the lawmakers made the decision during plenary on Tuesday after the matter was brought before the house by Mohammed Haruna, member representing Bida II.

While reading the resolution, Abdullahi Bawa, speaker of the house, ordered the ministry of works to repair the collapsed portion of the Minna-Bida road to avoid a complete cut-off.

Haruna had earlier said section 14(2)(b) provides that the security and welfare of people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“The only road linking Minna to Bida has been cut off due to the failure of a portion of the road that was washed off as a result of heavy downpour,” Haruna said.

“This development has brought hardship to road users as commuters were stranded, with perishable goods being destroyed due to the cut-off of a portion of Minna-Bida road.

“Patients on referrals to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Bida, are also stranded, making their conditions worse.”

Meanwhile, several motorists plying the highway have been left stranded since Sunday as a bridge along Sabon-Gida village in Gbako LGA of Niger state has collapsed.

The bridge was said to have collapsed as a result of the large number of heavy-duty trucks using the road.

On September 12, 2022, the same bridge at Sabon-Gida village collapsed due to heavy downpour in the area.

The bridge was earlier repaired by the Niger state Road Maintenance Agency (NIGROMA) but was said to have collapsed days after.

Despite the state government’s directive on restriction of movement of articulated vehicles on the Minna-Bida road, operators of heavy-duty trucks usually return to the roads at night.

In 2019, the Niger assembly was said to have given the state government approval to access N25 billion loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to fund projects, including the Minna-Kataeregi-Bida road, which is still under reconstruction.