Aminu Abdullahi Ibrahim
The bridge collapsed at Fajewa village of Takai Local government in Kano state causing suffering for women and children.
In my visit to the local government, I found how youths carry women and children on their shoulders to romp them out of the river.
The people in the village which is also 10 kilometers from the Secretariat of Takai local government have been suffering from the dilapidated road and the collapse of the bridge which connects four communities in the local government.
The villages affected are Fajewa, Birnin Bako, Tumbushi, and Gidan Malam all in Takai local government. It is also said that the road links to the border of Bauchi State.
Likewise, the ruination of the bridge prevents the villagers from accessing schools, and hospitals, and bringing their farm products to the main markets of the Takai local government.
With dismay, I noticed that people must pay dues before they are shouldered out of the river whenever they have to travel or go to the neighboring communities. It was said that there was a pregnant woman who died in an attempt to swim out of the river to the general hospital of Takai.
Mr Hassan the 27 years old one of the swim hoaders said they collect money ranging from 200 to 300 hundred naira and 500 to 700 hundred naira for a person with his baggage to cross them over the river.
Some women that I interviewed said that they had no other resort but to pay the money to cross the river to various places.
They added that it is sad and also prohibited in Islam to allow a man who is not biologically related to you to carry you as a woman on his shoulder but in a condition like this, they have no other options than this.
Some people in the area said that the breakage of the bridge was a trauma for them as they could not go to the hospital while sick. They corroborated that if the bridge is rebuilt the difficulties they face while traveling will come to an end.
They call on their politicians, especially the senator representing Kano South, members representing their constituency, and the Kano State government to help them reconstruct the bridge.
When I contacted the member representing the Takai constituency in the state house of assembly Mr. Musa Ali Kachako explained that he had presented a motion that sought the state government to repair the bridge recently, and they are waiting for it to be considered.
He also said that he hopes the state government will quickly bring emergency succor to the affected communities by rebuilding the bridge.
