The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Kwara State have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently facilitate the completion of the abandoned Oko-Olowo/Moro Bridge and Ohan Bridge projects.

The unions however said that the continued neglect of the infrastructure was crippling economic activities and worsening hardship across Kwara North.

The transport unions made the appeal during a joint press conference in Ilorin, describing the bridges as critical links connecting several communities in Kwara North to the rest of the state and neighbouring Oyo State.

Speaking on behalf of both unions, the state chairman of RTEAN, Alhaji AbdulRahman Onikijipa, said the abandonment of the bridge project, which was initiated in 2017 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, had left residents, transport operators, traders and public institutions facing severe challenges.

According to him, the Oko-Olowo/Moro Bridge was the major route providing access to Kaiama and Baruten Local Government Areas through communities in Oyo State, including Kishi, Igbeti, Igboho and Iseyin.

“The economic and social life of the people of Kwara State has been in jeopardy since the Oko-Olowo/Moro Bridge project was abandoned,” the union leader stated.

He noted that Kwara North, widely regarded as the food basket of the state, has suffered significant setbacks due to the collapse of the bridge and the poor state of alternative routes.

The union leader further revealed that the collapse of the Ohan River iron bridge, a colonial-era structure, had compounded transportation difficulties, effectively cutting off parts of Kwara North from the rest of the state.

“As a quick response, our unions have improvised alternative routes through the river pending the completion of the new bridge under construction, which is barely 40 per cent completed,” he said.

Highlighting the consequences of the abandoned projects, the transport bodies said many drivers and operators are forced into seasonal unemployment whenever heavy rainfall makes the improvised river crossings impassable.

“We are always out of work during the rainy season because the alternative routes become unusable. This affects our ability to cater for our families and meet our tax obligations,” he lamented.

The unions also expressed concern over frequent incidents of vehicles becoming trapped while attempting to cross the river, exposing commuters to safety risks and security threats.

He further stressed that the situation poses challenges to justice administration, particularly in transporting inmates and suspects from the correctional facility in Mandala to courts in Ilorin during periods of flooding.

“Hospital ambulances conveying patients to Ilorin for medical attention also face similar difficulties,” he added.

The union leader warned that if the bridges remain unfinished, electoral activities in Kwara North could be disrupted, especially during the rainy season.

“If sensitive and non-sensitive election materials cannot be delivered to polling units because of inaccessible roads, the credibility of such elections could be questioned,” he said.

He appealed to President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Works to expedite action on the completion of both bridges in order to restore economic activities and ease the suffering of residents.

“We passionately appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently put all necessary machinery in motion to complete the abandoned Oko-Olowo/Moro and Ohan bridges,” he said.

He also called on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to intervene and work towards finding a lasting solution to the infrastructure challenges facing the area. (THISDAY)

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