PDP Spit Fire on Ozuma Bridge Collapse in Okene, No Guarantee for Other Projects in Kogi State

The collapse of Ozuma Bridge, in Okengwe, Okene Local Government Area of the state calls for greater attention. The PDP in a statement on Tuesday signed by its Director Media and Communication, Dayo Onibiyo lamented that the fact that the bridge is in the Governor’s hometown makes it more worrisome.

The statement alleged that the bridge which was constructed with several millions of taxpayers’ money was built using sub-standard products and that is why it collapsed.

Newly Built Bridge Collapses @ Okene : Kogites believed corruption is the cause. When the integrity of a project is inflated but subsidized by low cost material with impunity. No attempt is made to follow procurement laws. Funny enough the ministry of works is jettisoned in the board room of governance. Political actors disguised themselves as Chinese contractor just to syphon public coffer. This accounts for why a bridge constructed by a state government like Kogi can collapse. The faliure is purely lack of prudent managers  followed by structural and design deficiencies, construction and supervision mistakes, accidental overload and impact, scour, and lack of  inspection and so forth.

The PDP accused Governor Bello of exposing road users in the area to unnecessary hardship and dangers after wasting several millions of naira on constructing the bridge initially.

“It is unfortunate that the administration of Yahaya Bello could not point to any completed project since it came to power, five years ago.

“We, therefore, advise Yahaya Bello to borrow a leave from the PDP in the state on how it successfully completed the notorious Meme Bridge and others, without exposing the lives of our good people to any danger,” the statement urged.

Onibiyo further raised fears that if the bridge can collapse within a month of its completion by the state government, there is no guarantee that similar projects in the state won’t suffer the same fate.

He, therefore, called on regulatory agencies including the Standard Organization of Nigeria, (SON) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to come to the aid of Kogi State and ensure standards are complied with.

“We are afraid that the supposed ongoing flyover, under construction at Ganaja junction Lokoja is at same heavy risk, if not worse, if a mere bridge can collapse under a week of its assumed completion by the same government,” he said.

In a similar vane, Omoyele Sowore also mocked the Kogi State government led by Yahaya Bello and his deputy, Edward Onoja, describing them as the worst set of leaders.

“Gov. Yahaya Bello and his Deputy, Edward David Onoja are the worst leaders to govern any state in the world. They constructed a bridge in Okene that collapsed in less than a week. What did Kogi people do to deserve these cruel men in the helm of their affairs?” Sowore wrote on his Facebook page.

In another post, he also added that: “This is the road in Ankpa area of Kogi state that Chief Edward David Onoja recently commissioned with one of the rogue legislators representing the state, who did Kogi people offend to have these characters as ‘leaders?’”