Residents and communities in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, have cried out to the state government over the collapse of a bridge which connects them to other states.
The bridge was reported to have been constructed during the colonial era.
The residents in a peaceful protest stated that the Oke Ipa Bridge collapsed on July 7, 2022 due to torrential rainfall and has since then created havoc on the residents.
Reports stated that the collapse of the bridge has rendered farmers, traders and other business owners useless and income on standstill.
They called on the governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun to help them construct a new bridge although a makeshift bridge had been made to enable bicycles and humans.
The residents cried out about how the makeshift bridge will not be able to stand the current effects of rain in the coming season.
Some of the affected communities included Oloke Sote, Magbon, Pakuro, Imedu Nla, Imedu Oloro, Magboro, Kara Nla, Kara Enumi, Jere Onigbedu, Makogi, among others.
The Baale of Melegun Oke Ipa, Chief Wahab Shodipo, said a new bridge would allow free flow of traffic in and out of the communities.
A community development chairman, Samuel Babalola, said, “What is N10m to the government? We are pleading with Governor Dapo Abiodun to come to our aid.”
A chief of Igbehin land, Oluwole Olaoye, said, “I was born in the 50s; I met the bridge here. Then, I was schooling at Pakuro. We used to come here to swim. The bridge that collapsed was not constructed by the government but by white men who came to explore gold in the time of our forefathers. Since its collapse, we have not had any government intervention.”
The Chairman, Obafemi Owode LGA, Ogunsola Adesina, said the news of the collapse has not been reported to him.
He said, “They have yet to inform the local government about the situation.”
Further report stated that all efforts to reach the state commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, was futile.
Their placards had several inscriptions like, ‘Please, come to our aid, Governor Dapo Abiodun’, ‘The bridge is important to our children’s education’, ‘Help us fix the Oke Ipa bridge that has cut us off from other communities’, among others.
