Distressed Enugu community seeks government intervention over 30-year abandoned bridge project
By KEMI KASUMU
“We have done our best as a community, but we can no longer continue. We are appealing to Governor Peter Mbah to come to our aid and help us complete this bridge,” Nzeh said.
Residents of Mgbidi community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State have appealed to Governor Peter Mbah and elected representatives from the area to intervene in the completion of a bridge project abandoned for more than 30 years.
The bridge, initiated and funded through communal efforts, is estimated to be about 55 percent complete. Community leaders say rising construction costs have made it impossible for residents to continue financing the project, leaving the structure unfinished after decades of work.
Speaking on the community’s infrastructure challenges, President-General of the Mgbidi Central Union (MCU), Barrister Tochukwu Nzeh, said the people had exhausted their resources and could no longer sustain the project.
“We have done our best as a community, but we can no longer continue. We are appealing to Governor Peter Mbah to come to our aid and help us complete this bridge,” Nzeh said.
He also lamented what he described as the absence of government presence in the two autonomous communities that make up Mgbidi, noting that the community’s health centre is in a dilapidated condition.
According to him, the community’s only access road—a seven-kilometre stretch linking Mgbidi to neighbouring Mmaku on the Awgu-Oji River Federal Road—was constructed through communal efforts more than a century ago and has remained in poor condition.
Nzeh said rehabilitating the road and completing the bridge would improve transportation, boost economic activities, and benefit neighbouring communities, including Nenwenta, Nkwe and Ezere, whose residents rely on the route.
A predominantly agrarian community, Mgbidi is known for producing vegetables, cassava, pineapples and other farm produce supplied to markets in Enugu, Awka, Onitsha, Aba and Port Harcourt. However, residents say poor road infrastructure has hindered the movement of goods and reduced farmers’ earnings, especially during the rainy season when parts of the road become nearly impassable.
The community leader added that Mgbidi, with a population of over 52,000, also possesses tourism potential through its caves, waterfalls and other natural attractions, which could attract investment if supported by improved infrastructure.
Community leaders, including Ichie Matthew Okpara and retired civil servant Chief Festus Ifeji, described the prolonged neglect as unjustified, arguing that despite Mgbidi’s historical significance and economic contributions, it has continued to lack basic infrastructure.
“For years, the people have watched neighbouring communities benefit from government projects while Mgbidi remained on the margins,” Ifeji said, adding that the poor state of roads, the dilapidated health centre and limited economic opportunities have contributed to youth migration.
Ninety-eight-year-old Ichie Okpara expressed hope of witnessing the completion of the bridge in his lifetime, appealing directly to Governor Mbah to intervene.
Earlier this year, an indigene drew public attention to the community’s plight through a viral social media video highlighting the deteriorating road and abandoned bridge project. While commending the governor for ongoing development projects across Enugu State, including the Smart School under construction in Mgbidi, he appealed for similar intervention in the community’s road and bridge infrastructure.
Similarly, Enugu-based pastor Edwin Ogbonna called for urgent government action, saying members of the community had continued to pray for intervention.
For many residents, the appeal extends beyond the completion of a bridge and rehabilitation of a road. They say it represents a call for inclusion, development and recognition after decades of relying on self-help efforts to address critical infrastructure needs.
