Ibadan: Bridge linking Ogungbade, Oke-Egberi, other communities collapses

THE over ten-hour downpour of last Wednesday in the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, has left some residents counting their losses, while many are thanking God for not allowing the flood that accompanied the rainfall to have a negative impact of their lives and properties.But people living in communities like Oke-Egberi, Majayegbe, Ile-Tuntun, Ogungbade, some parts of Adegbayi along New Ife road, as well as others nearby communities, all in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State, have no cause to lament because the bridge at Ogungbade community, linking the residents of the area to other communities in the council, has been damaged by the heavy downpour.Some residents of Ogungbade community who spoke with Community News before taking our correspondent round the area to verify the level of havoc done by the rainfall, explained that there had been several appeal letters written by concerned residents of the area to the appropriate authorities in the state for the past four years, without any to positive response to prevent the environmental problem which eventually happened as a result of the downpour.Some inhabitants of the area also stated that the authorities of Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State should be questioned for whatever problem or disaster that happened in any community in the council, stressing that they had complained about the continuous deterioration in many communities in the last three years.According to Mr Akingboye Kazeem, one of the community representatives who spoke with Community News explained that the bridge had become weak for the past three years before it eventually caved in.He said several efforts were made by the people to get the bridge reconstructed by the state Ministry of Environment and the Egbeda Local Government Council in the past four years had failed.Akingboye further explained that they were been able to sustain the strength and stability of the make-shift bridge in Ogungbade, through communal effort and contributions.Also speaking with Community News about the flood, the chairman, Oke-Egberi/Majayegbe/Ogungbade Village Landlord Association, Egbeda Local Government Area, Ibadan, Mr Kazeem Opeyemi, said the people of various communities that make up Ogungbade were really exposed to environmental disaster which incessant rainfall was precipitating presently.'But we are now in a serious problem because the bridge at Ogungbade which is a major route and link for residents of the area with other parts of Ibadan city, has collapsed. We constructed it with our own money through communal efforts when it became clear to us that the authorities of Egbeda Local Government Council did not care about our welfare, especially on how to construct good and strong bridge for us,' he stated.
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