Collapsed bridge cut off over 5,000 residents in llorin

Over 5,000 residents including school children of Alagbado community in llorin south Local Government of Kwara have been cut off with other communities following thee collapse of the only bridge linking them.

Alhaji Mustapha AbdulHameed, the chairman joint associations for the community gave the figure of the affected residents during an interview with Daily Times.

He lamented since the bridge collapsed about a month ago, it had virtually paralysed the social and Ecoonomic activities of the affected residents.The collapsed bridged. He added affected the acquisition of both western and lslamic educations of their children as the school buses that normally convey the children had stopped coming.

AbdulHameed appealed to the state Government to assist in the construction of the bridge to improve the socio-economic life of the affected residents.A commercial motorcyclist, lshola Aremu plying the route who spoke with Daily Times,said most residents were unable to pay for the alternative which is a long distance to other communities.

In a swift reaction, the state Comissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Aro Yahaya said the state Government had awarded contract for the construction of real concrete bridge that can last longer than the collapsed one.He appealed to the affected residents to exercise patience, saying that the construction will commence in august when rain break.The Commissioner advised residents of the state to always ensure clean drainged system to curb cases of collapsed bridges.

Alagbado bridge collapsed on Saturday 26th May after heavy downpour which listed over five hours.Tension as APC foil alleged plan by police, to stop aspirant’s declaration

There was tension in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Wednesday, as the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) foiled an alleged plan to stop the governorship declaration of an aspirant, Mr. Kola Alabi.

Alabi had obtained a police permit which was granted by the state police command about three weeks before the declaration but was allegedly persuaded by the Commissioner of Police, Abdullahi Chafe, to shift the event.

The command is believed to have attempted to convince Alabi to shift the event because Governor Ayo Fayose was also holding victory rally to mark the third anniversary of his electoral victory in 2014.

But Alabi defied the police and staged a street procession which shut down some parts of Ado-Ekiti and his native Ikere-Ekiti from where party faithful trooped out in their thousands to witness the declaration at the APC secretariat.

There was a massive security buildup to prevent a possible clash between APC members and Fayose’s supporters. Men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at Ijigbo and Ajilosun areas of Ado-Ekiti.

Addressing party leaders while declaring his intent to run for governor in 2018, Alabi said neither himself nor his party can be intimidated in the quest to bring about positive change in Ekiti.

He promised to focus on agriculture, development of mineral resources, opening up more revenue-generating ventures and growing cottage industries.

Receiving the aspirant, APC Deputy Chairman, Mrs. Kemisola Olaleye, slammed the state police command for attempting to force a shift of the event for which a valid permit had been secured.

She explained that the police had shifted two APC programmes for which permit had been obtained in recent past in favour of rallies by Fayose questioning the neutrality of the command.

Mrs. Olaleye said: Fayose cannot intimidate us because we have police permit for this declaration at our party secretariat. APC is fully on ground, nobody can chase us out of the state and whether Fayose like it or not, we are coming to power at next year’s election.”