Residents, Students Stranded As Collapsed Bridge Shuts Out A/Ibom Communities

By INIOBONG EKPONTA, Uyo

For residents, especially students of Ikot Nte and Ikot Mfon, two adjoining communities communities in Southern Iman axis of Etinan local government area of Akwa Ibom State, it has been tales of woe over the years as the only link – bridge facilitating socio-economic activities has again collapsed, checks by LEADERSHIP revealed.

It was gathered the advancing rains at its peak in the State, have also worsened the already deteriorated Ikot Ibok–Ikot Nte–Mbioto 2 Road and the Efa–Ikot Ese–Ikot Ibok–Ikot Mfon–Ndiya Road, as well as the other makeshift bridges that connect them to neighboring villages.

Some school students who spoke to our Correspondent, lamented that going to, and from school, have become so hectic over the years due to the lack of commitment by government to fix the bridge.

“Because of the collapsed bridge, we can’t attend some lessons this holiday season preparatory to resumption in the next school session, ” Aniekan Emmanuel, lamented.

The deplorable community roads, according to the the residents, “had been listed as top priorities in the Needs Assessment document presented to Governor Umo Eno during a high-level government town hall meeting for the Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium federal constituency in August 2025,”, but regretted that no serious action had been taken to remedy the situation.

“Since we presented our plights to the Governor in a Need Assessment document in 2025, nothing has happened from the current administration and successive governments over the years,” Effiong Asuquo, a common leader in Etinan LGA recalled.

Besides, the residents, led by members of the Ikot Nte USA/World Forum (IUWF),, lamented that after waiting for government intervention to no avail, have resorted to taxing themselves by “contributing resources to hire labourers and purchase materials for temporary repairs of the 3.7 km Ikot Ibok–Ikot Nte–Mbioto 2 Road.”

However, they stated that that “this self-help approach is no longer viable, especially as the road continues to deteriorate with each rainy season.”

Imoette Inyangudo, the Youth Leader of Ikot Nte, expressed frustration, recalling that, “the road has been neglected for far too long. It feels as though the residents do not matter”..

“Successive administrations in the Etinan local government council have consistently overlooked Ikot Nte,” he noted and appealed to the Chairman, Hon. Uko Umoh, to pay attention to the plights of residents of the affected area by allocating funds for community projects.

Also, thru made a case for the rehabilitation work on the the only secondary school serving the students from the affected area.

“Even if the roads were repaired, the community’s school, the Community Secondary Commercial School (CSCS), Ikot Nte, remains in a bad state of disrepair, with students attending classes under a rusted roof that leaks, and walls that are collapsing,” Sampson Etuk, a retired teacher noted.

It was gathered school enrollment have dropped significantly, adding to the growing numbers of out -if – school children.

Because of the terrible condition of the road infrastructure and the collapsed bridge, Children from nearby communities such as Ikot Mfon, Ikot Ibok, Ikot Obio Eka, and Ikot Ese have stopped attending the school due to the dangerous journey, while teachers assigned to the school often request transfers upon seeing the condition of the road and the school.

“If you visit the area at the start of the school year, you woud find that many students have left due to the lack of teachers,” Inyangudo added.