FORGOTTEN AND FORSAKEN: THE ABANDONED BRIDGE PLUNGING IBIANANG / EDEM IYERE INTO TRAGEDY AND ECONOMIC DECLINE.

Forgotten and Forsaken: The Abandoned Bridge Plunging Ibianang / Edem Iyere into Tragedy and Economic Decline

By Edet John (Ikonowatch)

At the boundary between Ibianang Ediene and Edem Iyere communities in Ikono LGA, Akwa Ibom State, what once stood as a promise of progress and connection now lies in ruin and despair. An abandoned bridge — unfinished, neglected, and dangerously deteriorating — has become both a symbol and a source of deep suffering. Once envisioned to link neighborhoods, stimulate trade, and ease transportation, this bridge has instead brought death, isolation, and economic retrogression to the people of Ibianang and Edem Iyere.

In recent months and years, multiple lives have been lost due to the impassable state of the bridge. Children on their way to school, farmers transporting produce, and motorists attempting to navigate the perilous structure have met tragic ends. These are not isolated incidents — they are the consequence of years of silence, delay, and inaction. What should have been a safe passage has become a deadly trap, claiming innocent lives and instilling fear in the hearts of those who must cross it daily. Of a truth, it is a death trap in plain sight.

The bridge which was once a critical artery for trade and movement is now a shadow of itself. Farmers from the affected communities and its environs relied on it to bring their produce to the popular Urua Naira market for onward transmission to nearby towns. With its collapse, transportation costs have skyrocketed, market access has diminished, and local produce often spoils before it can be sold. Businesses have shut down, jobs have been lost, and families are struggling to survive. The local economy is not just stalling - it's regressing.

Schools and Clinics on the other side of the bridge are now out of reach for many, turning everyday necessities into exhausting, expensive challenges. What was once a five -minute journey to Calabar-Itu Road is now a treacherous detour through distant routes, often impassable during rainy seasons.

The people of Ibianang Ediene and Edem Iyere are not asking for luxuries. They are pleading for safety, dignity, and a chance to rebuild what has been lost. This is a humanitarian crisis that demands urgent government attention. Infrastructure is not merely a development issue — it’s a matter of life and death.

We therefore call on the local, state and federal government, relevant ministries, and development agencies (NDDC) to prioritize the reconstruction and completion of the Ibianang/Edem Iyere bridge. The communities are ready to cooperate, provide information, and even contribute manpower if needed. What they lack are the resources and political will that only the government can provide.

The big questions in our minds are: How many more lives must be lost? How much more must the communities suffer before help arrives? The abandoned bridge in Ibianang / Edem Iyere is not just a broken structure — it is a broken promise, and it must be fixed. The time for action is NOW.

Let this be more than just another cry in the void. Let it be the beginning of real, tangible action.

#FixIbianang Bridge 

#BridgeOfHope 

#SaveIbianang

 #GovernmentInterventionNow