Residents of Araromi Oke-Omi community of Egbeda local government have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) letter to the executive governor of Oyo state, Engr Seyi Makinde, over the damaged caused by the last heavy rainfall.
The letter which was signed by community executives of Araromi Oke-omi Landlords and Landladies Association comprising the chairman, Mr Muideen Adepegba, Secretary, Adeyemi Ajibade, elder Fakoya and others, appealed to the governor to as a matter of urgency intervene in the construction of bridge at Arekemase Oke-omi off Kumapayi Olodo in order to prevent total road disconnection from connecting communities.
According to some of the community members who spoke with sunrisesbulletin, the Arekemase bridge is very important to all six communities namely Akindele, Eleriko, Aago, Arekemase, Ogundipe, and Idi-osan because it connects them to the 6 communities.
They noted that although, governor Seyi Makinde had visited the area during one of his inspection visit but residents of the communities are yet to see any practical follow up to the visit which has aroused apprehension among residents in those communities.
They lamented that the state lawmaker representing Egbeda state constituency at the Oyo state house of assembly, Honourable Babalola Olasunkanmi, has not been accessible and forthcoming to their plight since his assumption of office adding that the SOS letter was necessitated by the communities’ inability to get any help or support from the lawmaker who doubles as deputy majority leader of the house.
The statement reads in part: “since inception of the above mentioned communities, there is a river connecting six (6) communities, Akindele, Eleriko, Aago, Arekemase, Ogundipe, and Idi-osan which has wooden pedestrian bridge constructed by residents of the communities.
“The bridge we are talking about need urgent attention to avoid loss of precious lives and valuable properties.”
Residents of the communities are therefore, calling on governor Seyi Makinde, to urgently come to their aid by constructing a standard bridge before the downpour of heavy rains in the coming months as predicted by the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET).
They alleged that the last heavy rainfall claimed lives and valuable properties and a repeat of such occurrence would not be pleasant adding that the pedestrian bridge currently under use has been badly damaged and could collapse anytime from now.
They also urged the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its state counterpart Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) not to wait for damage to be done before reactive measures will be provided stressing that it may be too late and impossible to recover loss.
