For more than three decades, residents of Mgbidi community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State have struggled to complete a bridge project initiated and funded through communal efforts, but the structure remains unfinished.
With the project estimated at about 55 per cent completion, the community is now appealing to Governor Peter Mbah and elected representatives from the area to intervene and rescue it from decades of infrastructural neglect.
Speaking on the abandoned project, President-General of Mgbidi Central Union (MCU), Barrister Tochukwu Nzeh, said the community had exhausted its resources and could no longer sustain the project due to the rising cost of construction materials.
“We have done our best as a community, but we can no longer continue. We are appealing to Governor Peter Mbah to come to our aid and help us complete this bridge,” Nzeh said.
He lamented that despite its population, economic contributions and historical significance, Mgbidi has continued to suffer neglect from successive administrations.
According to him, there is little or no government presence in the two autonomous communities that make up Mgbidi, while basic infrastructure such as healthcare facilities remains in poor condition.
Beyond the bridge project, Nzeh highlighted the deplorable state of the community’s only access road — a seven-kilometre stretch linking Mgbidi to neighbouring Mmaku on the Awgu-Oji River Federal Road.
He explained that the road, originally constructed through communal efforts more than a century ago, has deteriorated significantly and remains a major challenge for residents.
The road traverses the entire community and extends to Adani Ezioha village, which hosts the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp.
Nzeh noted that completing the bridge and rehabilitating the road would not only benefit Mgbidi but also neighbouring communities including Nenwenta, Nkwe and Ezere, whose residents depend on the route for transportation and economic activities.
“Besides connecting the two autonomous communities in Mgbidi, this road and bridge, when completed, will bring immense relief to neighbouring communities and boost economic activities in the area,” he stated.
As a predominantly agrarian community, Mgbidi is known for producing vegetables, cassava, pineapples and other farm produce supplied to major markets in Enugu, Awka, Onitsha, Aba and Port Harcourt.
However, residents say poor road infrastructure has continued to hinder economic activities, making it difficult for farmers to transport goods to markets and discouraging buyers from visiting the area.
Community leaders also noted that the poor road network has created hardships for traders, students, pregnant women and elderly residents, particularly during the rainy season when sections of the road become nearly impassable.
Nzeh said Mgbidi, with a population of more than 52,000 people, remains one of the largest farming communities in Awgu Local Government Area and possesses significant tourism potential.
He identified natural attractions such as caves, waterfalls and other scenic sites that could attract tourists and investors if supported with adequate infrastructure.
Community leaders argue that Mgbidi’s strategic importance and contributions to the development of the area make its prolonged neglect difficult to justify.
The community is widely recognised as the ancestral home of the late Chief G.I. Oko, a prominent leader whose contributions were instrumental to the creation of the old Awgu Division during the colonial era.
A community leader, Ichie Matthew Okpara, and a retired civil servant, Chief Festus Ifeji, expressed concern over the continued neglect of the area despite its historical significance.
“For years, the people have watched neighbouring communities benefit from government projects while Mgbidi remained on the margins,” Ifeji said.
He added that the poor condition of roads, healthcare facilities and other critical infrastructure has continued to limit economic opportunities and force many young people to migrate in search of better prospects.
Speaking emotionally, 98-year-old Ichie Okpara appealed to Governor Mbah to intervene and ensure the completion of the bridge project during his lifetime.
Earlier this year, an indigene of the community drew public attention to the plight of Mgbidi through a viral video highlighting the deplorable state of the road and the abandoned bridge project.
The resident recalled that construction of the bridge had already commenced while he was still in primary school but lamented that decades later, the project remains unfinished due to lack of funding.
While commending Governor Mbah for ongoing developmental projects across Enugu State, including the Smart School project under construction in Mgbidi, he appealed for similar intervention in road and bridge infrastructure.
“I have seen the transformation taking place across Enugu State under Governor Peter Mbah. I believe he will extend the same intervention to Mgbidi and bring an end to decades of hardship suffered by our people,” he said.
Also speaking, an Enugu-based cleric from the community, Pastor Edwin Ogbonna, called for urgent government intervention, noting that residents had continued to pray for a breakthrough on the project.
For many residents, the appeal goes beyond completing a bridge or rehabilitating a road. It represents a call for inclusion, development and recognition after more than 30 years of waiting.
Having sustained the project through communal efforts for decades, the people of Mgbidi say their hope now rests on government intervention to finally turn their long-awaited dream into reality.
