Bridges linking the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) to town have been rehabilitated, bringing relief to students. The structure has since been re-opened, report IBRAHIM JATTO (Zoology) and HALIMAH AKANBI (300-Level Law).
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The truth in this aphorism is captured in the rehabilitation of bridges linking the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) to town. Before their repair, staff, students and members of their host community virtually went through hell getting to town. Now, they are full of smiles, with the rehabilitation of the bridges.
The structures were washed away in September 2010, following a flood that destroyed properties in the state and some parts of Kebbi State. The incident disrupted academic and commercial activities and the Federal Government promised to rebuild the bridges over River Rima.
Before the construction, the government provided a military-type floating bridge as a palliative, while the eroded portions of the bridges were sandfilled by the state in January 2011. Students and residents of the communities whenever it rained.
The contractor that handled the project moved to the site last November, several months after the project was approved. This led to the closure of the road, which caused hardship to students and motorists. The alternative Sokoto-Illela route takes 30 minutes to the university from Dandima Bus Stop in the town; this naturally made commercial cab operators to increase the transport fare to the school.
Relief came the way of students as well as residents of the host communities when the concrete bridges were completed, reconnecting the university back to the Sokoto metropolis. The bridges were opened last month.
Transport fares for commercial buses and cabs, increased during the period of rehabilitation, were immediately slashed, a development that lifted the mood of students.
The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr A.A. Aliero, said the development would rejig activities on the campus. He added that the management would complement the government’s efforts by rehabilitating the stretch from the university’s first gate to the Abdullahi Fodiyo Library Junction to make movement easy.
A resident of Kwalkwalawa Village, close to the university, Mallam Ilya, a fish seller, said commercial activities were paralysed in the community while the construction was going on.
“The construction dealt a big blow on our fishing business, because motorists were following a different route. The only customers we had were small-scale fish sellers, who take their goods to the other side to sell,” he said.
Some students, who also spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, expressed delight over the bridges. Tole Adewumi, a 400-Level Political Science student, said: “It is a big relief to all of us. I give kudos to the government and the contractor.”
Fatimah Baba Muhammed, a 300-Level Law student, said students could now save more money rather than paying exorbitant fare to commercial bus drivers. “Also, the rate of accident on the alternative route will be greatly reduced because the pressure on the road will be minimal,” she added.
Hammed Lukman, a 400-Level Law student and caretaker chairman of the Association of Campus Journalists (ACJ) hoped the construction met the standard and would stand the test of time. He said: “I will advise that students and other road users should imbibe good culture of maintenance in order to ensure proper safety of lives and avert future disaster.”
Immediately the bridges were open for road users, the commercial bus operators reduced the fare to N60. The reduction did not go down with students, who wondered why the drivers did not revert to “normal fare” of N30 before flood washed away the bridges.
The chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Al-Amin Wushishi, said the committee members had met with the chairman of Bus Service Management Committee (BSMC) and Dr Aliero, who, he said, assured that the matter would be looked into. “We hope they see to the plight of students as regards transportation challenges on campus,” Al-Amin said.
When contacted, BSMC chairman, Dr S.D. Abubakar, said management took the decision to fix the fare at N60, urging the students to direct grievances to the “right quarters”.
Dr Aliero, in a telephone interview, said: “This issue was brought to my notice. When I tabled the matter before the stakeholders, I was made to understand that the current fare is to the detriment of the bus operators, which made the management to intervene by subsidising the fuel. We do this to attend to the welfare of our students.”
