BRIDGELESS COMMUNITIES
Mrs Winifred Adzande
winifredadzande@gmail.com
Nigeria is blessed with two major rivers; River Benue and River Niger. These two large rivers have a confluence in Lokoja, Kogi State. The two flow into the Atlantic Ocean.
River Benue cuts across Adamawa, Taraba and Benue States in north east and north central Nigeria. The depth and width of River Benue requires advanced technology to cross over as transportation need arises.
In Benue State, bridges are constructed across the river in Katsina Ala, Makurdi and the ongoing construction at Uweito, connecting Benue and Nassarawa States. With this situation, it leaves out over 99% of communities living on the river banks, without a bridge for transportation.
The planks gathered here are not for furniture or firewood. These are raw materials for the construction of local boats, for water transportation. The materials use for construction include, planks from sewed wood and nails. The Engine component is imported and fixed, after the boat has been constructed locally. Between two weeks and one month, the construction sails into the river.
The fabricators are locals who undergo apprenticeship between one and two months. What they construct lasts between 4 and 5 years. This is a source of employment for youth in Buruku and Abuku communities.
The boat moves in a reverse order and between two and three minutes cross to either ends. The locals are comfortable with this sort of water transportation. For many years, they have witnessed theft only for once and have employed boat guards for the security of these priced items. The fuel consumption is as low as 2 liters for multiple trips.
The travelers who ply the route, on daily basis, are happy with this mode of transportation. They appreciate the conduct of the operators and express confidence. Like this woman, it is a daily medium of transportation.
The water transportation is convenient for cargo too. No amount of kilogram is too big for the local boats. Apart from vehicles and humans, luggages of different quantity are transported from either ends of the river banks. The boat business runs 24 hours from Mondays to Sundays. No matter the time of the day, it is guaranteed that a traveler finds a boat to cross over.
The water transportation is not only for the locals. Commuters from distant locations like Taraba and Adamawa have jettisoned the Katsina Ala Bridge because of its deplorable nature. Besides, they say it is faster and safer, to cross through here with their vehicles and passengers. Aliyu Abu said apart from the safety, the inadequacies of “Check Points” are not found on this route. The commuters are comfortable with the conduct of the riverside operators. He however thinks there are areas in which they can improve. To him, the aspect of loading and offloading a vehicle into the boat is faulty.
To others, it is a convenient means of transportation, though they call on the government to make haste and construct a bridge on this part of the River Benue. Is this call necessary, owing to the negligence of government overtime? It is a worthwhile call to Terpase Koryol, who is seen along with other passengers crossing on the manual boat.
Some travelers have attached superstitious belief for plying the route. This man, Yusuf Musa says there are benefits he gets in travelling through the boat. He was specific that the water inside the boat cures different sicknesses. With his little container, he gets some water.
Some youths on the banks are life guards. They hang around to attend to issues in case of a mishap. However, to the Buruku-Abuku river banks, boat accidents rarely occur. The operators are professionally trained. Some of them have been into the business all their lives. To them, it is serious business.
There is a beehive of activities on the banks on daily basis. Passengers who are government workers, students and farmers are ferried for free. But you have to wait for the next cargo to be loaded. This is community service to the operators. A private vehicle is ferried for 1,500 whereas a public vehicle, like this bus is ferried for 1300. It is rational that public vehicles are ferried in less amount compare to the private ones. Goods and services are charged based on negotiation.
This is not a market day; the banks are home to different commodities, a traveler can take home or consume, while he relaxes for the next move. Sugar cane, oranges, food, fishes, yam are some of the common commodities at the banks.
To a first timer, it is a fearful sight to ferry across the river in the local boats. Women, children, adults and the old cross here. The low and the mighty in the society also cross through the boats.
The local boat business and trading on the Buruku-Abuku area of the River Benue will continue for a long time to come. From available records, there are no plans, at least not yet, to construct a bridge for the travelers.
Good enough, it is a strategic business and source of livelihood for many who claimed whatever they achieved in life came from the riverine business. This is a marvelous experience you should give a trial, anytime you find the opportunity to travel across a river without a bridge.
