If not immediately addressed, danger is looming at Ogbere area of Ona Ara local government.
Ona Ara residents, every day, have to wait many minutes to cross to the other side, no thanks to the alternative bridge washed away by rains few days ago.
Many of the residents, in a save our soul message to OYOINSIGHT.COM feared that the bridge may collapse owing to the large number of people who use it every minute.
”It is not that we have accepted our fate, we are just helpless. And we advised government against this. Our children now wait longer hours to go and return from schools. Those who have businesses around here have been affected. And the worst of it all is that we are afraid this bridge may collapse. It is the only passable bridge that will use. You need to come and see how people many hours to get to their destination,” one of the affected residents told this newspaper.
It would be recalled that the first rain of the year, which was supposed to be a blessing to many due to the heatwaves that have been witnessed in the past two months had turned sour. The alternative route created to ease reconstruction of Tioya bridge along Amuloko area was washed off by the heavy downpour.
The alternative road, this newspaper understands, had been created when the Tioya bridge was demolished for reconstruction.
Residents, who spoke journalists on the fateful day had expressed sadness, explaining that “it might be difficult for the construction company to create another alternative route. There are looking for ways of diverting traffic to nearby street roads.
“Many residents and visitors are stranded as we speak. Nobody knows the next line of action. It is so sad that this bridge caved in just first rain after it was constructed. I recall that we complained to the government last year that this project wasn’t properly handled. We were accused of being used. This is the only road that links the local government headquarters in Akanran.
“Only last year, around March 14, the pedestrian bridge also collapsed and washed away few hours after its construction.
“We want to call on the government through the ministries works and transport as well as other relevant agencies to come to our aid. We are stranded. We don’t know what to do. This is beyond personal effort. We cannot shoulder it. We want government to quickly come to our rescue. Everything has been affected between yesterday and now. In fact, it is negatively affecting the wellbeing of the close to one million residents and also the economic prosperity of the area. Some of us don’t work here, we have to go and come back on daily basis. Our children will go to schools, people will go to their shops and all that. We need urgent solution,” Ajibike Taoreed told journalists.
It would be recalled also that residents had expressed frustration over the handling of road construction within and around Ibadan.
The expression of anger, they told newsmen, became necessary, following the untold hardship the demolition of some culverts and link bridges have caused.
According to them, alternative routes should have been created long before the project started.
“From Labo to the bridge linking the expressway that connects it with areas in Ona Ara local government, more than two bridges and culverts have been demolished with no alternative routes to pass. We now spend more hours on the road to get to our destination.
“Only recently the alternative bridge at Ogbeni Tioya which was done to ease vehicular and human movement following the heavy downpour that ravaged Ibadan last Friday. The downpour had necessitated total closure of Ogbere-Ti-O-Ya bridge.
“With the development, it means we are going to wait till the construction ends before we can continue with our businesses. That is too harsh to bare. While we are not saying government shouldn’t embark on developmental projects, it shouldn’t be at the detriment of the people. The Labo bridges, for example, should have been done in phases, one at a time. We now use longer hours on the road, pay more to commercial drivers and motorcyclists. Imagine if you are from this end of Labo and you are going to Akanran. What would you do?
“It is not too late for government to find alternative and durable roads so as to ease the burden off the masses’ neck. Government shouldn’t add to our problems,” Awolere Yekini, who spoke on behalf of the affected residents appealed.
