The founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola and the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, has criticized the stoppage in the repair of the Ureje Bridge along Ado Ekiti – Ikare Road.
Babalola and the monarch queried why the reconstruction work on the bridge which collapsed during last year’s rainy season was not initiated during the dry season.
They made the observation at the bridge site which had been closed to users since Thursday to allow for repairs while addressing angry road users who had slated a protest against the contractors for Saturday for not providing an alternative route.
The road users including residents, drivers, motorcycle riders plying the route, and market men and women, among others, had planned to protest against the total closure of the road, which they said had affected their livelihood.
Babalola criticized the Federal Government for starting the project late. He, however, urged the residents to endure the pains in the interest of the generality of the people.
The ABUAD founder said “I expected that they would have done the repair earlier. There are two alternatives; it is either they divide the bridge and let one section be used or the contractor should grade the road àt Igirigiri, along Ado Local Government Area as an alternative route so that the people will not suffer.”
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“Some people came to report to me that they will disrupt this project and open up the road forcibly. But I begged the road users to endure this situation, if the contractor fails to do the right thing, then we will take them up”, he stated.
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi and Oba Adejugbe, who agreed with Babalola, said that the construction began late. They, however, appreciated the Federal Government for attending to the bridge.
The Federal Controller of Works in Ekiti, Isiaq Lawal, commented, saying it was never the intention of the Federal Ministry of Works to inconvenient anybody, urging the people to cooperate with them for the success of the project.
