Some residents of Lafia, Nasarawa State have appealed for federal and state government’s immediate assistance in ensuring effective flood control at Umar-Katako bridge on the Lafia-Akwanga highway.
They made the appeal in separate interviews with newsmen in Lafia on Wednesday.
Since Monday, Lafia had witnessed downpour which had submerged the bridge located in Shabu community outside Lafia.
The flood had resulted in gridlock, disrupting vehicular movement from Lafia to Akwanga Local Government Area and other parts of the state.
Many motorists, who were affected by the flooding around the bridge, were forced to wait for hours to have clear visibility of the bridge before passing through it.
Superintendent of Police (SP) and Officer in Charge of Medicals at the Nasarawa State Police Command, Dr Ndukwe Chidozie, said the recent flooding was enough signal for the federal and state governments to take immediate precaution to avert impending havoc.
“There are so many motorists plying that route to different destinations. So you can imagine a motorist who has little knowledge of flood route, especially at night, the outcome can be catastrophic,” he said. Chidozie appealed for a bigger bridge to be constructed to accommodate more water and allow motorists pass over it even during heavy rainfall.
“Everybody should be mindful anytime it rains. So I appeal to the masses, especially motorists plying that route to be patient while government finds solution to the issue.
“It is not easy but I am confident that a solution will be found to avoid disaster,” he said.