The Youth President of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Wisdom Jasper-Stephen, has attributed the collapse of a bridge linking Rumuche community to the Kalabari Road to erosion caused by heavy flooding in the area.
The bridge collapsed on Monday, October 5, 2026, disrupting access to the Kalabari Kingdom and leaving residents living across the bridge, farmers and other road users stranded.
Jasper-Stephen, who spoke on the development, said the collapse had created significant difficulties for residents, particularly those who depend on the road for access to their farms and communities.
He, however, commended the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Chidi Lloyd, and the former Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oha Sergeant Chidi Awuse, for their swift intervention following the incident.
According to him, the local government chairman visited the scene on Tuesday and promised immediate action to restore access along the road.
He said a manager from Berger, the company working on the road, had also visited the site to assess the damage and determine how to address the collapsed bridge.
Jasper-Stephen explained that the collapse was not caused by the use of substandard construction materials, noting that the bridge was already in place before Berger commenced work on the road.
He said the recent flooding generated a strong flow of water that eroded the area around the bridge after the existing drainage channel became inadequate to contain the volume of water.
“Five to six metres of the bridge collapsed because of erosion. The road is our access road to our farms. Even Kalabari people and some of our people who live across the bridge have no way to pass through,” he said.
Jasper-Stephen said the flooding had altered the natural flow of water around the bridge, resulting in erosion that eventually weakened and caused the structure to collapse.
He expressed optimism that the ongoing intervention by the local government and other stakeholders would lead to the prompt reconstruction of the affected section and restore access to the communities.
