Anambra traders cry out for help, want FEMA, State Govt. to fix collapse Sakamori bridge

BY POLYCARP IFEANYI/ONITSHA

Traders at Ogbaru Main Market near Ontisha the commercial hub of Igbo land have cried out for help following the collapse of a portion of Sakamori bridge in the area.

The President-General of the market, Mr. Ndubuisi Ochiogu who spoke behalf of the traders appealed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA) and State Government to assist them to fix the failed portion of the abandoned Sakamori bridge.

It would be recalled that the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) had issued several warnings ahead of this year’s rainfall, warning residents of the area of the danger ahead.

Conducting newsmen round the dilapidated bridge at the weekend, Ochiogu explained that traders in the market are under serious threat.

He said, “The Sakamori links all flooding from Nkpor, Ezeiweka Awada, Owerri Road and crossed behind the Market’s fence down to River Niger. The flood has already pulled down the fence of the market threatening to move into the market”.

His words: “As you can see, the whole of the Sakamori slab has damaged leaving ordinary soil which has already washed away the fence. We have been trying our possible best to control it but it is beyond our capacity. It is so deep and wide that requires huge capital to tackle, That is why we are calling on FEMA and State Government to assist us.

“We are afraid because if something urgently is not done, flood will sack and destroy this market in this rainy season. As we heard, there will be high rainfall and flood this year.

Ochiogu expressed worries why the Sakamori should be damaged so soon, stating that not quite few months ago the same failed portion was repaired by former administration of the market.

He said that he has written to FEMA and State Government but uptill the moment, they have not got any reply.

“If it is not poor work done on this portion of Sakamori by the people who claimed that they repaired it, this nonsense would not have surfaced again. It is even worst because all slaps have been washed away”

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.