The ongoing construction of the Buruku Bridge in Benue State has renewed hope among residents after nearly 200 people reportedly lost their lives in boat mishaps on the Katsina-Ala River within three years.
Raymond Aondoakura, Chairman of Buruku Local Government Area, disclosed this in Buruku during an inspection tour of ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the state by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Presidential Media Team, led by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, alongside Deputy Governor Samuel Ode and the Federal Controller of Works in Benue, Mukaila Danladi.
Aondoakura said the bridge would provide lasting relief to residents and commuters who had depended on unsafe river crossings for decades.
“We thank our President for his generosity and this monumental project. What this project has done for our local government cannot be expressed. We are very grateful.
“We are happy because we have lost lives in this river. In three years, we lost almost 200 people. This bridge is a relief to Buruku and commuters from other states,” he said.
He also commended Gov. Hyacinth Alia for compensating residents affected by the project, saying the gesture helped facilitate its smooth execution.
The Buruku Bridge is being constructed along the Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala-Zaki Biam highway, where it will cross the Katsina-Ala River and replace the long-standing river crossing that has hindered transportation and economic activities in the area.
The approximately 880-metre bridge is expected to strengthen connections between Benue and Taraba while improving access to communities in Buruku, Logo, Katsina-Ala and Ukum local government areas.
Ode described the project as a strategic investment that would improve connectivity between Benue, Taraba and Nigeria’s North-East.
He said the Katsina-Ala River had claimed lives and property over the years, expressing optimism that the bridge would eliminate the need for dangerous crossings.
According to him, the Benue Government had fulfilled its compensation and right-of-way obligations, allowing the Federal Government’s intervention to proceed without major impediments.
Ode said the bridge would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, particularly yams from Sankera Federal Constituency, while reducing travel time and transportation costs.
He commended Setraco Nigeria Ltd., the contractor handling the project, for the progress recorded so far and expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of construction.
Jonathan Modi, Chairman of Ukum Local Government Area, said the project would significantly improve access to one of Nigeria’s major yam-producing areas and connect farmers to markets across the country.
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“We have the biggest yam market. This road and bridge will connect our local government. “This will be the shortest route for distributing our goods and will support our communities and neighbouring areas like Taraba that we border,” he said.
Danladi, the Federal Controller of Works in Benue, said the dual bridge had a main structure measuring about 854 metres, with major substructure works already completed.
He said piles, pile caps and piers had been completed, while precast beams were awaiting installation after the water level in the river receded.
Danladi attributed temporary delays to heavy rainfall and rising water levels but assured that construction would accelerate once river conditions improved.
He said the project, funded through the Renewed Hope Intervention Fund, had no financing challenges and remained scheduled for completion by December 2027.
The federal controller also acknowledged the state government’s support in compensating owners of affected structures, farmlands and economic trees within the project corridor.
The project was approved by the Federal Executive Council in March 2024 at a contract value exceeding N83.7 billion, making it one of the Federal Government’s major bridge projects in Benue.
For residents, the project represents more than improved transportation, as the Katsina-Ala River has long posed a major challenge to communities that depend on it for movement and trade.
Godwin Tordue, a community artisan, said the construction had already created employment opportunities, with hundreds of workers engaged on the project and household incomes boosted by increased economic activity around Buruku.
Felicita Akanyah, a resident, said many victims of previous boat accidents were students and women travelling to or returning from markets.
She expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for undertaking the project and to the state government for compensating community members affected by its construction.
Onanuga said the Buruku Bridge was one of five bridges being constructed by the Federal Government in Benue. He said the scale of infrastructure development demonstrated how government funds, including borrowed funds, were being channelled into projects capable of supporting economic growth.
According to him, investments in roads and bridges would open up previously isolated communities, improve connectivity, strengthen trade and create opportunities for economic development.
When completed, the Buruku Bridge is expected to provide a safer and more reliable crossing over the Katsina-Ala River while improving the movement of people and agricultural goods between communities in Benue, Taraba and the wider North-East.
For residents who have endured years of hazardous river crossings and associated loss of lives, the completion of the project is expected to mark a significant improvement in safety, mobility and economic activity across the area.
NAN
