“We Are Hungry and Forgotten”: Nawfia Community Appeals to Soludo Over Long-Abandoned Bridge

 

Nawfia Community Pleads for Government Rescue as Collapsed Bridge Leaves Farmers in Despair

For the people of Nawfia, a serene agrarian community in the heart of Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, the echoes of a forgotten bridge have grown louder than the hum of daily life. Their cries, muffled for over a decade and a half, finally found voice again on Friday as officials from the Anambra State Ministry of Environment paid an inspection visit to the site of the long-collapsed “Ezu Nawfia Bridge.”

Once a vital connection between Nawfia and its neighboring Abagana community, the bridge now lies in ruins—an abandoned relic of post-war infrastructure that has cost the community more than just convenience. For fifteen years, the people of Nawfia have been cut off from their farmlands, forced to watch their ancestral livelihoods wither under the weight of government neglect and environmental degradation.

“It’s no longer just a collapsed bridge,” said Chief Daniel Okoye, the President General of Nawfia. “It’s a collapsed way of life. My people are hungry and suffering because they cannot access the land that feeds them.”

Chief Okoye, speaking emotionally during the visit by state officials, revealed that the bridge—originally built shortly after the Nigerian Civil War—gave way fifteen years ago. Despite numerous pleas and a more recent assessment by NEWMAP (Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project), no tangible action has been taken to reconstruct the bridge or mitigate the associated erosion damage that continues to threaten nearby homes and properties.

“Individuals in the community have spent millions trying to control the erosion around the area. But how long can a few people carry the weight of a failing public structure?” he asked.

The impact of the bridge’s collapse extends far beyond the loss of farmland access. Chief Okoye lamented that many residents have been forced to relocate, unable to bear the physical risk and inconvenience of navigating the remnants of the bridge just to earn a living. Others, especially the elderly and low-income families, have been pushed into poverty, relying on charity and aid to survive.

The inspection team, led by Lady Chidinma Okpala on behalf of the State Ministry of Environment, acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. Speaking to the gathered residents, she conveyed the government's intention to take swift action.

“His Excellency, Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, is aware of the strategic importance of communities like Nawfia,” she said. “We assure you that your concerns will be brought directly to the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Felix Odumegwu, and from there, to the governor himself. Please exercise a bit more patience with the government as we begin to look into feasible solutions.”

Despite the promises, there was a visible air of cautious optimism among residents, many of whom expressed concern that previous visits and inspections had yielded no results.

“This is not the first time we are hearing promises,” said Nneka Ezeobi, a local farmer. “But it is the first time in a long while that someone from the government came to listen again. We are praying this time is different.”

The bridge's collapse has not only severed a road but a deep-rooted bond between the people and their land. Nawfia, known for its rich agricultural traditions, now finds itself grappling with food insecurity and a fading heritage.

As the state government considers its next steps, the people of Nawfia wait—hopeful, yet wary—that their plight will no longer remain buried under the rubble of a forgotten bridge. Until then, their call is simple: let action replace promises, and let the path to the farms be restored so that a community might reclaim its dignity.