Kwara transport unions beg Tinubu, AbdulRazaq to fix collapsed bridges

The Kwara State chapters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to urgently intervene in the reconstruction of the collapsed Moro and Ohan bridges, warning that the situation is crippling transport and economic activities in Kwara North.

The unions made the appeal in Ilorin on Thursday during a joint press conference addressed by the Kwara State Chairman of RTEAN, Alhaji Abdulrahman Onikijipa, and his NURTW counterpart, Alhaji Abdulrasak Ariwo-Ola.

They described the abandoned bridge projects as a major threat to livelihoods, mobility, and socio-economic life in the northern axis of the state.

They said, “The economic and social life of the people of Kwara State, especially those in Kwara North, has been in jeopardy since the Oko-Olowo/Moro Bridge project was abandoned.”

The Moro bridge project, initiated in 2017 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, remains a critical link connecting Kaiama and Baruten local government areas to other parts of Kwara State through adjoining communities in Oyo State.

“The importance of the bridge is immeasurable to transport workers, traders, educational and health institutions, security operatives and other public servants who ply the road daily in pursuit of their lawful activities.

“Like the failed Oko-Olowo/Moro Bridge, the iron bridge on Ohan River has also collapsed, thereby cutting off the entire Kwara North from the rest of the state,” they added.

The unions said transporters were suffering heavy losses during rainy seasons due to impassable alternative routes.

“We are always out of work during the rainy season because the alternative routes become impassable. This affects our livelihoods, our families and even our ability to fulfil civic obligations such as payment of taxes.

“On many occasions, vehicles get trapped in the river due to engine faults or other unforeseen circumstances. Commuters are often left stranded and exposed to security risks,” they said.

They warned that the situation was also affecting emergency response and judicial logistics in the state.

“Movement of suspects from the Correctional Centre in Mandala to courts in Ilorin becomes difficult during periods of flooding. The same challenge affects ambulances conveying patients to Ilorin for urgent medical attention.

“If these bridges are not repaired, it could affect the smooth conduct of elections in Kwara North. The credibility of any election where materials cannot be delivered to polling units due to poor access roads may be called into question,” they warned.

They therefore appealed to the President to direct the Minister of Works to fast-track action on the projects.

“We passionately appeal to President Bola Tinubu to direct the Minister of Works to put all machinery in motion for the completion of the abandoned Oko-Olowo/Moro and Ohan bridges so as to revive economic activities and alleviate the suffering of our people,” they said.

They also urged AbdulRazaq to adopt immediate palliative measures to reduce hardship in affected communities.

Speaking with PUNCH Online on the sidelines of the briefing, the NURTW State Secretary, Alhaji Abdulrosheed Aliu, said repeated engagements with government authorities had not yielded meaningful results.

“We have engaged both the state and federal ministries of works, and they promised that contractors would be mobilised to the site before the end of last month,” he said.

“The contractor eventually came to the site, but after about two or three days, they left. Since then, we have not seen any progress,” he added.

Aliu disclosed that transport unions had even resorted to self-help in maintaining parts of the road.

“Our members had to contribute money to make the road passable. It is unfortunate that transport workers are bearing responsibilities that should ordinarily be handled by the government,” he said.

He urged the state government to emulate other states that intervene in federal road projects and later seek reimbursement.

“The state government can provide palliative measures on the road and recover the money from the Federal Government later. We have seen such interventions in other states,” he said.

Aliu also warned of worsening insecurity if the situation persists.

“If there is a need to deploy security personnel to those communities around the bridges during an emergency, how will they get there? The lives of people in that area are at risk,” he said.

PUNCH Online reports that the Moro Bridge, located between Oko-Olowo and Mandala in Ilorin West and Asa Local Government Areas, collapsed on April 30 after a heavy-duty truck reportedly passed over its ageing structure, cutting off a key transport route between Kwara and neighbouring Oyo State.

Reacting to the development at the time, the Kwara State Government had said it was engaging federal authorities to address the situation, while construction of a new bridge near the collapsed one was ongoing