UHUALA OFEIYI COMMUNITY APPEALS FOR URGENT INTERVENTION OVER COLLAPSED BRIDGE, EROSION

By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu On Oct 6, 2026

The people of Uhuala Ofeiyi in Orendu Autonomous Community, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, have called on the state government, political stakeholders and the Federal Government, through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to urgently intervene in the collapse of the Uhuala Ofeiyi Bridge and the erosion menace ravaging the community.

Speaking with newsmen during an on-the-spot assessment to ascertain the extent of the damage to the Uhuala Ofeiyi Bridge, the Traditional Ruler of Orendu Autonomous Community in Ohuhu, Umuahia North Local Government Area, His Royal Majesty, Eze Philip Ajomiwe, said the community was in urgent need of government intervention following the gradual collapse of the bridge and the worsening erosion menace.

According to him, the situation has already destroyed properties worth millions of naira and poses a serious threat to residents, farmers, traders and other road users.

It could be recalled that the Uhuala-Ofeiyi Bridge became an important link for surrounding communities, providing access across the waterway and connecting residents, farmers and traders to neighbouring communities and agricultural areas that would otherwise face considerable difficulty, especially during the rainy season.

Eze Ajomiwe noted that the bridge also serves as an important route linking the area to neighbouring Imo State, and appealed to the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, to urgently intervene to prevent the bridge from suffering total collapse.

He further disclosed that the erosion menace had destroyed buildings and consumed farm crops worth thousands of naira, stressing that urgent action was needed to protect lives and property.

Also speaking, the Youth Chairman of Uhuala Ofeiyi, Mr. Kelechi Christian Nwokoafor, expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the bridge, saying the situation had left residents, farmers and motorists increasingly worried.

He pointed out that the rainy season had become a major threat to lives and property in the community, particularly with the worsening condition of the bridge and surrounding erosion sites.

The youth leader recalled that several lives had reportedly been lost in previous years as a result of residents using canoes to cross the river in search of livelihood opportunities.

He also commended the pioneer Chairman of the NDDC, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, for attracting the construction of the bridge through Inter-Bau Construction Company, noting that the project had significantly improved transportation and economic activities in the area.

Nwokoafor called on the Abia State Government, led by Governor Alex Otti, as well as other well-meaning sons and daughters of Ohuhu, to rally round the community and help salvage the situation before it deteriorates further.

He stressed that the current condition of the bridge requires a comprehensive engineering assessment, including an examination of its foundations, abutments, drainage arrangements and riverbank protection measures, to determine the appropriate remedial works and prevent further damage.