Senate Seeks Reconstruction of 50-Year-Old Bridge Linking Enugu, Abia

…Ngwu moves for inclusion in 2027 budget, calls for security assessment of Mmam Valley

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The Senate has urged the Federal Government to urgently reconstruct the Nkwuni-Awlaw Mmam Bridge linking Enugu and Abia states, citing its prolonged absence as a major obstacle to economic activities, community access and security in the South-East.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Osita Ngwu, who highlighted the challenges facing residents of Awlaw and neighbouring communities following the destruction of the bridge during the Nigerian Civil War.

The Senate called for the reconstruction project to be captured in the 2027 Appropriation Bill under the Federal Ministry of Works and the Border Communities Development Agency.

It also mandated its Committee on Works to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Works and the governments of Enugu and Abia states to develop a final design for a permanent, all-weather bridge.

In a related resolution, the Senate urged the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Police Force to conduct an immediate security assessment of the Mmam Valley, which Ngwu identified as an area vulnerable to criminal activities because of its difficult terrain and limited accessibility.

Presenting the motion, the senator described the bridge as a strategic interstate link connecting Inyi, Achi and Awlaw communities in Oji-River Local Government Area of Enugu State with Mbala, Amuda and Leru communities in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

He explained that the bridge provided a vital crossing over the Mmam River, which originates in Mmaku and divides Awlaw into two.

According to Ngwu, the bridge was originally constructed during the colonial era but was destroyed during the civil war. Although Nigerian Army engineers subsequently erected a temporary Bailey bridge, it was later dismantled and removed by the military, leaving the communities without a permanent crossing for more than five decades.

The prolonged absence of the bridge, he said, has imposed severe hardships on residents, particularly farmers who depend on access to farmlands across the river.

Ngwu lamented that some residents now rely on bamboo rafts to cross the river, exposing them to potential dangers and disrupting agricultural activities, hunting and fishing, which constitute important sources of livelihood in the area.

He added that the absence of a direct crossing had forced motorists to use longer and more expensive alternative routes, restricting the movement of people, goods and services between the two states.

The senator also identified the isolation of major local markets, including Nkwo, Eke, Orie and Afor, as a consequence of the poor connectivity, arguing that the situation had discouraged investment and constrained commercial and industrial development.

On security, Ngwu expressed concern over the vulnerability of the Mmam River Valley, noting that the area hosted more than eight temporary refugee camps during the civil war.

He warned that the area’s extensive farmlands and surrounding forests, combined with difficult terrain and inadequate road access, could provide cover for criminal elements and complicate security operations.

The lawmaker further argued that poor infrastructure had compounded security challenges in parts of the South-East by limiting the ability of security agencies to respond promptly to incidents in hard-to-reach communities.

He maintained that rebuilding the bridge would restore a critical transport link, improve access to markets and essential services, facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and create opportunities for economic growth.

Ngwu added that the project would help reduce transportation costs, improve livelihoods, attract private investment and strengthen security by enabling easier access to communities and farmlands.

The Senate’s intervention places the proposed reconstruction among the infrastructure priorities being pressed for federal consideration in the 2027 budget, with residents of the affected communities awaiting a permanent solution to decades of disrupted connectivity.