The People of Isi-Uzo local government council area have cried out on what they said is an attempt to completely abandon the construction of a bridge across Ebonyi River at Ikem.
The people are worried that the contractor handling the protracted bridge project has removed all equipment and materials from the site to another nearby site, raising fears that work may have been permanently abandoned by the state government.
The people have therefore pleaded with the state government to make the contractor return to site and complete the project initiated by the immediate past administration of the state before the communities are once again cut out from thoroughfare.
In a statement by the Chairman of Isi-Uzo Progressives Forum (IPF), Chief Gabriel Nnaji, the people said the bridge had completely collapsed last year, that brought suffering and pain to the people, while a makeshift bridge was facilitated by contributions of some individuals from the local government.
“That makeshift bridge is once again showing signs of another collapse and we observe the state government’s attempt to complete the on-going concrete span bridge abandoned by the immediate past administration of the state, but quickly absconded, leading to the contractor’s total withdrawal from site with all equipment and materials.
“Our worry is that the contractor took the materials and equipment to a new site in a nearby local government, giving us the impression that the completion of a lasting Isi-uzo bridge across Ebonyi is not in near site.
“We are worried that whereas the present state government is yet to initiate any new infrastructural project in any part of Isi-Uzo local government, it finds it difficult to complete a critical old project like the Ebonyi bridge.
“We therefore appeal to the state government to make haste and return contractor to site before the area is cut-off again, which if it does, will bring about pain and increased feeling of marginalizatoin among the good people of Isi-Uzo.”
