When Humphrey Ogbonnaya acquired the land along Panaf Drive, Dutse Alhaji area of Abuja in 2012, he had looked forward to building a house where he could live peacefully with his family.

By the time he built his house, there was only one challenge to the joy he had envisaged.

He could look through the window of his one-storey house and see the Kubwa Expressway which is less than 200 metres distance, but there’s no straight road to the express — He has to drive through adjourning streets, meandering through unmotorable paths for hours before finally linking the express.

Driving home or driving out became the proverbial cross he has to bear daily with the consequent frustration and stress. The shortest route to the express needed a small bridge to allow driving across the nearby canal.

He approached some road contractors and enquired about the cost of creating a bridge that would reduce at least 60 kilometres of the exhausting ride home. Despite communicating this plan to other property owners in the area, no one was willing to support it financially.

Ogbonnaya decided to do it all alone to save himself and his family the daily torment they were going through just to get to work and back.

Speaking to THE WHISTLER, he said, “So, they charged me N2.5 million, and I alone carried the burden of the bridge, and I did not disturb any of the landlords anymore. I had stone on my head, and sand on my body with other labourers.

“By 2013, I was able to put up the bridge and the slab. I also went for caterpillars to grade the road so people can pass and I was charged N500,000 which I also paid.”

The bridge was constructed and everyone had a new lease on life. But as more people began to live in the area and it grew in population, the bridge began to suffer from overuse.

The bridge that was built to take a few vehicles now finds itself accommodating more vehicles including trailers as households in the area multiply to about 5000, all spreading across Dawaki, Dutse and Kubwa.

Watch the full video clip of the collapsing bridge here: https://thewhistler.ng/feature-abuja-community-cries-for-help-as-bridge-linking-about-5000-households-nears-collapse/

Fidelarinze9:
When Humphrey Ogbonnaya acquired the land along Panaf Drive, Dutse Alhaji area of Abuja in 2012, he had looked forward to building a house where he could live peacefully with his family.

By the time he built his house, there was only one challenge to the joy he had envisaged.

He could look through the window of his one-storey house and see the Kubwa Expressway which is less than 200 metres distance, but there’s no straight road to the express — He has to drive through adjourning streets, meandering through unmotorable paths for hours before finally linking the express.

Driving home or driving out became the proverbial cross he has to bear daily with the consequent frustration and stress. The shortest route to the express needed a small bridge to allow driving across the nearby canal.

He approached some road contractors and enquired about the cost of creating a bridge that would reduce at least 60 kilometres of the exhausting ride home. Despite communicating this plan to other property owners in the area, no one was willing to support it financially.

Ogbonnaya decided to do it all alone to save himself and his family the daily torment they were going through just to get to work and back.

Speaking to THE WHISTLER, he said, “So, they charged me N2.5 million, and I alone carried the burden of the bridge, and I did not disturb any of the landlords anymore. I had stone on my head, and sand on my body with other labourers.

“By 2013, I was able to put up the bridge and the slab. I also went for caterpillars to grade the road so people can pass and I was charged N500,000 which I also paid.”

The bridge was constructed and everyone had a new lease on life. But as more people began to live in the area and it grew in population, the bridge began to suffer from overuse.

The bridge that was built to take a few vehicles now finds itself accommodating more vehicles including trailers as households in the area multiply to about 5000, all spreading across Dawaki, Dutse and Kubwa.

Watch the full video clip of the collapsing bridge here: https://thewhistler.ng/feature-abuja-community-cries-for-help-as-bridge-linking-about-5000-households-nears-collapse/

@Myndy44 @Lalasticlara