Following the flood that cut off Bauchi-Kano road, the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly. Abubakar Y Suleiman has visited the scene of the washed away Gadar Mulka bridge in Ningi Local Government, today.
Speaking to thousands of passengers and other people who are stranded at the scene, the Speaker while sympathizing with them said that the situation is so devastating as the flood has washed away parts of the road which disconnected people of Bauchi, Kano, and the Jigawa States.
The Speaker said the road is one of the busiest and important roads to the people of Bauchi State hence the need for serious and immediate action by both the State and the Federal Governments.
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“I will immediately report the situation to the Executive Governor of Bauchi State His Excellency Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad so as to take immediate action by providing palliative measures so that people can have a way to go to their various destination.
“As you can see I am here with the Permanent Secretary Bauchi State Ministry of Works and Transport, this tells you the level of seriousness and concern of His Excellency Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammad toward the plight of the people. What we need here is a big bridge as affirmed by the Permanent Secretary and the engineers that are here with us. Whatever you do here except a big bridge, water will wash it away.
“I assure the Governor will do something tangible. He did it last year when another bridge collapsed. He will do it again. He will build a bridge for us In Sha Allah” The Speaker said.
He advised motorists and people of the area to be cautious of the area until things are put in order.
The Speaker also donated money to passengers whose vehicles are washed away by the flood so that they can travel to their various States and prayed for the passengers that lost their lives.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary Bauchi State Ministry of Works and Transport Stephen Abubakar said the bridges and culvert around the area are not sufficient which led to the flood that washed away the bridges embankment.
He explained that the permanent solution to the problem is the construction of a bridge while the temporary solution for people to be able to pass through the road is to provide a drift which they will do as soon as the volume of the water is reduced.
Mr. Stephen urged people to exercise patience because they will have to wait until the flood subsides before they can start work on the road.
A resident of the area who is also the Chairman of Ningi Truck Drivers Association Alhaji Ali Noma Gadar Maiwa while expressing their gratitude to the Speaker for showing love and concern for their plight by paying the prompt visit urged the Government to immediately tackle the situation as many people lose their ways to earn a living and another day to day activities.
Narrating the situation to the Speaker, one of the motorists whose car was washed away, Abubakar Abdullahi who was on his way from Kano to Adamawa, explained that after the downpour early in the morning today, as they were crossing the Mulka Bridge, flood overpowered them and their vehicle fell into the river.
According to him, two other vehicles also fell into the river in which 11 people are rescued while 3 people drowned in the river, and up to now their corpses are not found.
