•Seeks gov’s intervention
By Jeff Agbodo, Abakaliki

For the people of Amaeke in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, crossing the Ike River is a daily gamble with death.

With no functional bridge in place, residents – farmers, women, children and the elderly -have once again resorted to rebuilding a fragile bamboo crossing, a desperate lifeline that has, over the years, turned into a deadly trap.

Each rainy season, the river swells beyond its banks, sweeping away the makeshift structure and, at times, the lives of those who dare to cross.

“Our people are dying,” said Mrs Martha Okoro, the community’s women leader, her voice heavy with emotion. “Every rainy season, we lose men, women and children in this river”, she added.
According to residents, more than 10 lives have been lost in recent years, with victims either drowning while attempting to cross or sustaining injuries after falling into the raging waters.
Hope had flickered last year when Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, approved the construction of a bridge across the river as part of a four-kilometre road project linking the community to neighbouring areas.
But that hope is now fading.
The contractor handling the project, community members said, has abandoned the site for over six months, leaving behind rusting rods and uncompleted structures – silent reminders of a promise yet to be fulfilled.
Last week, in a scene that captured both resilience and despair, villagers gathered at the riverbank, cutting bamboo and tying sticks together to reconstruct the makeshift bridge ahead of the coming rains.
“We had no choice,” said Comrade Joseph Orji, a social critic and indigene of the community. “This is the only way to access our farms and neighbouring communities. Without this bridge, we are cut off.”
He described the Ike River as a critical link between Amaeke Ishiagu and neighbouring communities such as Ndiagbor and Ndinaochele in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Yet, he noted, the same river has become a recurring source of tragedy.
“Not less than seven persons have drowned here in recent years. We are approaching another rainy season, and the danger is imminent”, he said.
Community leaders say the abandoned project is not just an infrastructure failure, but a matter of life and death.
Chief Okechukwu Onyegbule, Chairman of the Amaeke Ishiagu community, acknowledged the state government’s efforts in awarding the contract but urged immediate intervention.
“We commend the governor for initiating this project, but we appeal to him to compel the contractor to return to the site. This bridge is very important to our people”, he said.
Former community chairman, Chief Matthias Ajah, echoed the concern, warning that the situation could worsen as the rains intensify.
“When the river overflows, it submerges the bamboo bridge completely,” he said. “Farmers cannot cross, and lives are lost. We are afraid of what will happen this year.”
For many residents, the impact goes beyond mobility. Farm produce is often destroyed during flooding, cutting off livelihoods and deepening hardship in an already vulnerable rural economy.
Hon. Anyim Emmanuel Anyim, councillor representing Ngwogwo Ward, also appealed to the state government to act swiftly.
“We appreciate the road construction ongoing in our area, but the bridge is critical. The contractor must return and complete the job.”
As dark clouds gather ahead of the rainy season, anxiety is rising in Amaeke. For now, the community clings to its bamboo bridge-frail, unreliable, and all too often, fatal. Their message is urgent and clear: complete the bridge before more lives are lost.