Yagoua: Businesspersons decry consequences of bridge collapse.

Following the collapse of the bridge on September 12, locals among them are said to have been left scrambling for alternative means of transportation. 

They said with the bridge impassable, life has become more difficult especially when it comes to the transportation of goods.

According to locals, the bridge which served as a major artery between the two parts of Yagoua, facilitated trade, transportation. With the facility now down, several businesses, some aid, are facing a downturn.

The situation, others said, has forced them to navigate the city using makeshift canoes to reach other parts of the flooded town.  

“The struggle is enormous. Even though lives were lost during the collapse, the impact on the local economy and the day-to-day life of residents is profound. The cost of moving from one part of Yagoua to the other has gone up,” Amadou, a businessman in the town said.

Like him, another trader, Ousman, regretted that locals have resorted to using small boats and canoes to ferry themselves and goods across the river.  

“The town is still flooded due to rains, posing a significant hazard, and the cost of transporting goods, medical supplies, and foodstuffs has also gone up,” he remarked.

The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Mayo Danay, Jean-Lazare Ndongo Ndongo, during a visit to the site to assess the situation, reassured residents that authorities are working to address the catastrophe.

“We are in a dire situation and we need urgent measures to restore connectivity and ensure the safety of our people. The government is committed to finding a long-term solution, but we must remain patient,” he told the population.

The administrator also called on the population to remain vigilant as they go about their daily activities.

The collapse of the bridge, it should be said, is just one piece of a larger crisis affecting the Mayo Danay Division. The Division has for the past weeks been heavily impacted by floods.

The situation which has been blamed on lack of protective levees to prevent the river from flooding the city each time rains intensify. 

Recent reports indicate that, owing to the floods, at least 17 persons have died, 40,000 homes destroyed and 200,000 people among them 74,000 children affected.

The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, in a recent press outing, announced a package of 350 million FCFA to the population of Mayo-Danay Division, reeling from flooding.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3233 of Wednesday September 18, 2024