N1,500 and N3,000 everyday. On the other hand, those that follow canoes to scoup up sand and load into the canoes make between N2,000 and N4,500 daily.A owner of a portion of land where canoes' off load sand, Mr. Samson Daniel, said that they have enough room to engage any youth that willing to work and earn a living. "We are never over staffed for the sand can't be finished in the river," he said.Daniel said: "We that own positions along the bank of River Niger pay tariff to the Federal Government on each tipper loaded with sharp sand to the tune of N180, while we sell the sharp sand to tipper drivers at N3,600". He also appealed to government to empower them to provide security beneath the Niger Bridge.He said this was necessary to keep at bay some undesirable elements that usually tormented innocent citizens and further vandalise the bridge. "For the fact that we stay here from morning till night, we would want the Federal Government to arm us through the police force. We, as a union, will appoint among us those to watch over the bridge to put a stop to such unpatriotic acts.He said that they were ready to offer free security to also ensure the means of livelihood. "This unpatriotic act of losing the bolts and nuts that bind the bridge together might one day cause the federal government to eject us from this place thereby making thousands of us that work here daily to lose our source of feeding our families,'' he said.A tipper lorry driver, Mr Christopher Mbonu, who drove from Awka to Onitsha bridgehead to buy sharp sand said "we buy the sharp sand for N3,600''. ``On getting to Awka we sell the sand for between N10,000 and N14,000 depending on the distance from Awka town.'' he said.
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