By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Residents of Olorunsogo Zone 13 in Ado-Ekiti have appealed to the Ekiti State Government to urgently intervene in the construction of a bridge linking their community with Zone 6 after a wooden pedestrian bridge serving the area was washed away by heavy rainfall.
The residents said the makeshift bridge, which had been constructed by members of the community, collapsed during Tuesday’s downpour, leaving many people stranded and unable to access their homes.
One of the residents, Mr. Gbenga Ola, explained that the situation caused serious difficulty for residents who were returning home after the rainfall.
According to him, the destroyed bridge had been the only convenient link between the two zones, adding that its collapse has further exposed residents to hardship.
“We built the wooden bridge ourselves because we needed a way to cross the stream. Unfortunately, the rain washed it away and many of us struggled to get home yesterday,” he said.
Another resident, Mr. Adeola Fakorede, expressed concern over the impact of the situation on school children and other residents, noting that some pupils are now forced to wade through the stream to get to school while others trek long distances to access nearby roads.
Fakorede also lamented the security challenges associated with the situation, stating that some residents had previously lost vehicles parked close to their homes due to the poor access created by the damaged bridge.
The residents said they had written several letters to relevant authorities seeking assistance but had yet to receive a response.
While commending the ongoing infrastructural development efforts of the state government under Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, they appealed to the governor to urgently consider the construction of a durable bridge across the stream to ease movement and improve safety in the area.
They expressed hope that government intervention would bring lasting relief to the community and restore normal activities in the affected neighbourhood.