Delta, Bayelsa Residents Cry Out As Major Bridge Linking Three Communities Collapses
The local bridge which is usually accessed only through the Odi road in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area in Bayelsa State and linking the above communities, SaharaReporters reliably gathered collapsed on Monday and left so many travellers, traders, private business owners and government officials travelling to their various places of engagement stranded.
Residents of Trofani and Canan-Irri agrarian Ijaw and Isoko communities of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and Ikpide-irri agrarian community of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State have cried out following the sudden collapse of the major access bridge linking the three communities.
The local bridge which is usually accessed only through the Odi road in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area in Bayelsa State and linking the above communities, SaharaReporters reliably gathered collapsed on Monday and left so many travellers, traders, private business owners and government officials travelling to their various places of engagement stranded.
SaharaReporters learnt that the incident which has been majorly attributed to shoddy work and flooding has totally cut off the entire three riverine communities from accessing other parts of the two states as the water running under the collapsed bridge flows into the River Niger with very high current.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, a resident in the area who simply identified himself as Pere, lamented the incident and described it as “unfortunate and the gains of shoddy jobs by contractors in Nigeria.” and called on Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) to come to the aid of the people before it would be too late.
An eyewitness told SaharaReporters that the incident happened around 8am shortly after a vehicle carrying passengers from Ikpide-irri riverine community to Oleh town in Isoko South had drove past, adding that the incident has caused a serious challenge to motorists and commuters, particularly the local business owners and farmers who ply the route on daily basis.
Some residents of the three communities in the River Bank of the River Niger said a Save-Our-Souls (SOS) had been sent to the federal government, NDDC as well as the Bayelsa and Delta state governments urging them to intervene immediately to fix the birdge and prevent the situation from deteriorating especially in this season of flooding.
Reacting to the incident in a statement by the leadership of a Delta state based social/pressure group, “Concerned Indigenes of Ikpide-irri 4-Development”, described it as “very unfortunate incident” and called for urgent intervention.
The statement which read in parts, lamented the current sufferings of the people in the areas following the incident and called on the NDDC management to also immediately carry out a major repairs on it’s concrete pavement road in Trofani community linking the Ikpide-irri community that has failed for over five years now.
“The collapsed bridge is the only road that leads to Trofani community presently, from which you can also access the Ikpide-irri and Canan-Irri communities, which are at the bank of the River Niger. It is so unfortunate that it happened in this period because the floods are fast rising and to access these towns is now a big problem except maybe by boats. Right now, a proper work will have to be done and we calling on the governor of Bayelsa state and the management of the NDDC to send their officials down to see the extent of failure of the bridge and a portion of the road that is already flowing into the River Niger.
“If in a few days nothing is done, part of the road will be washed off from what we have seen. The collapsed bridge has cut off residents from other neighbouring communities, leaving visitors, market women and commuters stranded. We actually need the presence of the NDDC and the Bayelsa State government seriously now to come and help these affected communities.
“In fact, this is the only link access road from Odi and other parts of Delta and Bayelsa states to the affected communities and all of them have been totally cut off as we are talking right now. So we are appealing to the Bayelsa state government and the NDDC to come to our aid before the situation gets out of hand,” the statement added.
