Ibadan communities groan as collapsed Apete bridge cuts them off

After a heavy torrential downpour that lasted hours, with reported casualties, the make-shift pedestrian bridge at Apete, an outskirts community in the Oyo State capital, Ibadan, suddenly collapsed.The collapsed bridge used to service residents of about five communities, including Ibadan Polytechnic, Apete and Awotan. These areas are also largely populated by staff and students of […]

After a heavy torrential downpour that lasted hours, with reported casualties, the make-shift pedestrian bridge at Apete, an outskirts community in the Oyo State capital, Ibadan, suddenly collapsed.
The collapsed bridge used to service residents of about five communities, including Ibadan Polytechnic, Apete and Awotan. These areas are also largely populated by staff and students of the University of Ibadan.
It was indeed a gory sight to behold, as witnesses said virtually all passers-by on top of the bridge as at the time of the calamity were reportedly swept off by the heavy rainfall. 
But Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has insisted that nobody died in the Apete make-shift bridge collapse incident: “I can confirm authoritatively that nobody died in the bridge collapse. Those saying otherwise are liars, who refuse to come to terms with the realities on ground. Please, don’t listen to them.” 
 The governor reiterated that a pedestrian bridge had been put in place for the use of the people while some mass transit buses aptly tagged ‘Ajumose Buses’ were also made available for the use of the people by government free–of-charge.                           
Residents say the Apete flood incident was indeed terrible. The rampaging flood was said to have hit the wooden pillars of the bridge, forcing it to collapse as passers-by were crossing from one end of Apete community to the other.
Even though witness estimated the dead washed away by the collapsed bridge at between 12 and 25, the governor denied the claim. It was reliably gathered that the casualties could have been more if the schools within the communities had not left for their respective homes for the first semester break.
But some students who stayed behind for the break, in alliance with Apete youth had resorted to protest over the incident. They collectively accused the state government of negligence in the construction of the main bridge that links the community with other parts of Ibadan, including the polytechnic.
Consequently, business activities in the larger part of Apete community have remained paralysed as restive youths continued to protest the perceived undeserved deaths. They pointed to the failure of the government to complete the construction of main bridge over the Apete river in time.
It was gathered that the Oyo State government had flagged off the construction of the main bridge in 2011, in response to the devastating flood disaster of August same year. It ravaged several parts of Ibadan including Apete, in which the main bridge being used by residents of the community collapsed. It actually prompted government’s construction of the make-shift bridge to serve the needs of the people pending the completion of the new main bridge.
Several communities were cut off from the rest of the city following the sweeping away of the bridge by the flood of August 26, 2011.
Governor Ajimobi assured while dedicating the ill-fated make-shift bridge that it would bring relief to the people of the area. He promised that government would find a lasting solution to the flood-associated problem in the locality through the construction of a `rugged bridge’ that would last for a very long time.
Besides the bridge,  Ajimobi had said that dredging and embankment would also be done to allow for free flow of water in the river. But these actions were stillborn until another flooding washed away the Akpete bridge.
Chairmen of the affected councils, Prof. Niyi Olowofela of Ido council and his Oluyole council counterpart, Prince Abass Aleshinloye, had at the event assured that more rivers and streams in the areas will be further dredged to prevent a recurrence of the ugly incident. 
Meanwhile, security operatives have been dispatched to mount vigil on the collapsed make-shift bridge at Apete, apparently to keep at bay the restive youths protesting the drowning of some members of the community.
No fewer than 10 pick-up vans belonging to security operatives were stationed in strategic locations in the community while there was heavy presence of armed policemen at a fuel station close to the
collapsed bridge and one of the entrances to the polytechnic, which shares boundary with the community.
Again, Oyo State government has promised to complete the reconstruction of another pedestrian bridge to replace the collapsed make-shift one at Apete, within the next 10 days. It said that the main bridge under construction would be made passable to pedestrians by September. 
The government, at a press conference in Ibadan on Tuesday, attributed the delay in the completion of main Apete bridge to weather and other climatic conditions in 2013, as well as other factors like design revisions and alterations of the project.
Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Ismail Olalekan Alli, while addressing reporters, urged the residents to make use of alternative routes at Ajibode and Akufo areas, pending the completion of the pedestrian bridge.  Alli, who described as unfortunate the collapse of the pedestrian bridge owing to the flooding arising from the heavy downpour of last Saturday, promised that the new one would stand the test of time until the final completion of the main bridge.
Weekly Trust however, gathered that the state government awarded a contract for the construction of the bridge, but later cancelled it due to the poor performance of the local contractor. The contract was awarded to another contractor, with the completion period fixed for May 2014.
Explaining the actions taken by the state government after the flood disaster of 2011 and subsequent efforts at ensuring that there was no flood in the state, the government said it immediately evacuated and rescued victims all over the affected areas. It added that it has since embarked on massive awareness campaigns on local radio and television to warn people to keep off flood-prone areas.
Commissioner for works, Mr. Bimbo Kolade, assured at the press conference that the three bridges under construction along the Apete axis and the 3.5 kilometre Ijokodo Junction and Apete road would be completed latest by December 2014. 
Kolade also said that the newly-completed pedestrian bridge at Apete is restricted, explaining that even though the bridge was solid enough for vehicular activities, it would only be used by pedestrians for now as the completion of the main bridge is being expedited.
The commissioner also assured the people of Apete that another pedestrian bridge would be constructed at the other side of the bridge shortly, saying that the second pedestrian bridge, on completion, would serve both pedestrians and commercial motorcyclists with the exception of vehicles pending the completion of the main bridge. `
`The bridge is solid enough for vehicular activities but because of the need to continue work on the main bridge the pedestrian bridge will be restricted to pedestrian activities for now. We will not even allow Okada riders to use it”, Kolade stated. 
The governor’s special adviser on environment, Mr. Yomi Oke, explained that government had carried out several enlightenment campaigns aimed at sensitising the people on the need for them to avoid practices that could aid flooding in the state.
He also stated that the residents of Apete had through the state-owned radio and television station, been warned to stay away from the bridge when it was becoming apparent that there would be heavy rain on Saturday.   
The Secretary to the State Government assured the people of the state that government would not rest on its oars in ensuring that the welfare of the citizens was given adequate attention.
But the main question on the lips of many residents of Apete is how long they would have to endure their pathetic situation of searching for alternative routes to their respective homes as the main bridge accessing the community is presently in limbo. 
Sunday Ajayi, a civil servant at the Ibadan Polytechnic, who is a resident of Apete, stated that he now has to go through Ajibode village behind the University of Ibadan to link Ojoo-Mokola Road, before getting to his duty post virtually on daily basis.
Another resident, who works at Cocoa House in the central business district of Ibadan, said he has no option than to follow the Ajibode route which, apart from draining his pocket, is unnecessary time -wasting.
To this end, the Apete community has dispatched a Save-Our-Souls to the state government to hearken to their call and expedite action on the construction of the main link bridge to make life more meaningful to them.