Ekiti communities cut off as link bridge collapses

Not less than six towns in Gbonyin local government area of Ekiti State have been cut off from Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, following the collapse of a linking bridge on the busy Ado-Ijan-Omuo-Kabba Abuja federal road.

The affected communities comprise Ijan Iluomoba, Agbado, Aisegba, Imesi-Ekiti and Ode Ekiti, as well as motorists and commuters traveling out of the state to Ondo, Kogi States and the Federal capital territory.

The bridge located in front of Saint Paul Anglican Primary School, Ijan, collapsed on Saturday after hours of downpour and attendant flood, causing a serious challenge to commuters, particularly, the local business owners and farmers who ply the road on daily basis.

It was gathered that the bridge built during the military government in the old Ondo State collapsed due to persistent erosion and ever-increasing movements of heavy duty vehicles along Ado-Ijan-Omuo-Kabba road.

The incident had not only affected the social live of the affected communities but also posed a challenge to free flow of vehicles along that route.

Motorists have been forced to resort to other alternative roads to manoeuvre their ways from Ijan-Ekiti to Iluomoba up to Irun in Ondo State.

Regretting the situation, the Osodi of Ijan Ekiti, High Chief Kehinde Ojo, appealed to the Federal and State governments to come to their aid by reconstructing the collapsed bridge to restore normalcy on that road.

Ojo, who is the Acting traditional head of Ijan Ekiti, pending the appointment of a Regent to superintend over the town, stated a letter had been written to the state government on the need to take prompt action on the collapsed bridge.

“As we speak now, traffic along that route had been altered and affected . Economic activities are also being affected because some of the vehicles carrying agriculture products to the market centres are affected.

“We should also look at the environment hazard the portion poses to our people being in the heart of the town. The surroundings are being degraded due to erosion and this should not be allowed to continue,” he said.