President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Works, Hon. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, to urgently assess and commence the reconstruction of the collapsed bridges in Mokwa, Niger State, following the recent devastating floods that claimed over 160 lives.
The Minister disclosed this while addressing journalists during a condolence visit to the state on Tuesday. He described the flood disaster as tragic and assured the people of the Federal Government’s full commitment to restoring accessibility and rebuilding key infrastructure.
“We are here on the directive of President Tinubu to urgently assess the level of damage and immediately begin the process of reconstructing the collapsed bridges,” the minister said. “In the meantime, an alternative road will be provided to ease movement for affected communities.”
Hon. Goronyo was accompanied by the Director-General of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Chukwuemeka Agbasi, senior engineers, and directors from the Federal Ministry of Works, as well as other technical personnel. They were received in Niger State by the Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, who represented Governor Umaru Bago.
During his visit, Hon. Goronyo paid a courtesy call to the Ndalile of Mokwa, where he offered prayers for the repose of the souls of the flood victims and conveyed the Federal Government’s condolences to the traditional ruler and affected communities.
The Deputy Governor praised the swift response of the Federal Government and reaffirmed the state’s readiness to work in partnership with federal authorities. He emphasized that the visit was a serious fact-finding mission, saying, “This visit with the Honourable Minister is a serious engagement to see the destruction for ourselves and begin immediate action.”
The Minister and his team visited critical sites, including the Rabba Bridge and the collapsed railway line linking the northern and southern regions of the country, both severely damaged by the flooding.
The Federal and State Governments jointly pledged to develop long-term solutions to prevent future occurrences and fast-track recovery efforts in Mokwa and other affected areas.
