But that was not the first time blood flowed on the bridge like the water beneath. On November 18, 2012, a multiple ghastly accident was recorded at the same spot. The victims, included a pregnant woman, who had gone to the market to buy foodstuffs for the family that weekend. She died on the spot.
Investigations revealed that with increased vehicular traffic on that route in recent times as a result of the deplorable condition of roads entering into the commercial city, the rate of accidents had also gone up. In fact, it has become a regular occurrence because of the bad state of roads within the area.
But it is not only vehicles that kill and maim people at waterside. Cows have also sent scores of people to their early graves there. Every morning, cows are moved from the livestock market at the left hand side at the foot of the bridge to the other side, going to Ogbor hill, which serves as an abattoir. While being led to the slaughter house, the cows completely take over the road like a troop on a mission. At that point, any oncoming vehicle is at the mercy of the animals. Woe betide you if any of the cows runs amok while you are within the vicinity. If you are trekking, you are in trouble and if you are inside a vehicle, you are in deeper trouble.
A resident, Mr Simeon Amaechi, said: "Sometimes, some of the cows being led to be slaughter go crazy and run into vehicles and passersby. They use their horns to attack anything or anyone in sight. My brother, you need to see a mad cow displaying on this road. In fact, if you are passing through waterside in the morning, you will have your heart in your mouth because anything can happen. This thing happens all the time and sometimes serious injuries and deaths are recorded; vehicles and other valuables are also destroyed. Yet government does not seem to be bothered, otherwise the cattle people should have been called to order. In the last seven years or so, they have been terrorising road users with reckless abandon. Many people have lost their lives to the mad cows. "
A housewife, Mrs Florence Iheukwumere, disclosed that each time she passes the area, her heart skips a beat because of her near fatal experience. "One day, I was taking my four children to school in a charteredkekeand we almost perished at that spot. What happened was that while we were in the early morning traffic, one of the cows went on rampage and everybody started running helter skelter. People behind were running and overtaking us and when I looked behind, the rampaging cow was almost behind us. There was confusion everywhere, people were screaming, I was screaming, thekekerider jumped out of thekeke, abandoning us to our fate. As I was about pulling my children out, the cow ran pass us. It injured many people and destroyed many vehicles. Some people lost their phones and money. So, I decided there and then that my children will not cross that place again to go to school. I was forced to change school for them," she said.
Saturday Sunwas at waterside recently and discovered that apart from the rampaging cows, the city may soon witness an outbreak of epidemic. This is because of the unhygienic condition of the environment.
Getting to the abattoir, you are welcomed by gigantic flies and thick, debilitating odour of animal waste and decayed parts. Stepping in there, you wonder how human beings stay in such environment and do business. Indeed, the abattoir is environmentally unfriendly, unsanitary and unsightly. You cannot breathe freely because of the stinking odour that hangs on you several minutes after exiting the place.
One of the butchers, who identified himself simply as Okey, volunteered that it is not for the butchers to clean up the environment, claiming that they pay government officials for that purpose. "We pay all manner of taxes and levies but the government doesn't seem to care about keeping the place clean. All they know is to harass and molest us to pay the endless list of taxes and levies. So, it is their responsibility to keep the place clean; after all we pay environment/sanitation levies, among others," he said.
Explaining why she and others patronize the butchers there despite the unhygienic nature of the place and the looming danger of epidemic outbreak, a food vendor attributed it to the relatively cheap price of meat there. Nwanyi Enugu, as she is popularly called, said: "I know that the offensive odour there may cause sickness for someone but we go there because meat is cheaper there. You cannot compare the way they sell meat at waterside with how they sell in other markets at Aba. Most of the meat sealers in town buy at waterside and resell at other markets. Even those who hawk meat in town buy from waterside. So, that is why we go there. We are always praying against any disease or sickness because we cannot afford not to go there and buy meat for our business."
It was also learnt that because of the ineffectiveness of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) in the collection and general management of wastes, some of the residents resort to self-help by throwing their wastes into the river whenever it rains. The wastes block water channels and worsen the flood menace in the city.
Worse still, a bigger disaster appears to be lurking in the shadows as the bridge is said to be crumbling. "You don't have to be an engineer to know that the bridge at Aba River needs attention. It is showing signs of wear and tear and needs to be reinforced. We are praying that the bridge does not collapse because if does, we are in big trouble. If they cannot repair ordinary roads in the state, there is no way they can build a bridge. If the bridge collapses, we are finished," noted Pa Ndukwe.
It was further learnt that the area earmarked for the relocation of the butchers near Ochendo Modern Market had been taken over by drug addicts who were driven away from the town part known as Yorke. WhenSaturday Sunwent there, some of the dopers were seen doing their thing without a care.
Source: The Sun
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