From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
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 intervene and complete the abandoned Oko-Olowo/Moro Bridge project.
According to them, the continued neglect of the infrastructure has crippled transportation, trade and economic activities across parts of Kwara North.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin recently, leaders of the two transport unions described the bridge as a critical link connecting communities in Kaiama and Baruten Local Government Areas to other parts of Kwara State and neighbouring towns in Oyo State.
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The unions said the project, which was initiated in 2017 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, remains incomplete despite its strategic importance to residents, transport operators, traders, students, healthcare workers and security agencies.
Speaking on behalf of the organisations, the unions noted that the collapse of the bridge had subjected commuters and transport workers to severe hardship, forcing them to rely on difficult and unsafe alternative routes.
“The economic and social life of the Nigerian masses in Kwara State has been in jeopardy since the Oko-Olowo/Moro Bridge project was abandoned,” the unions stated.
They explained that the bridge served as the major access route to several communities in Kwara North, a region widely regarded as the food basket of the state.
According to the unions, the situation has worsened following the collapse of another bridge over the Ohan River, further isolating many communities and disrupting movement across the region.
“Like the failed Oko-Olowo/Moro Bridge, the second iron bridge on the Ohan River has also collapsed, thereby cutting off the entire Kwara North from the rest of Kwara State,” they said.
The transport bodies revealed that they had improvised alternative routes through river crossings pending the completion of a replacement bridge project, which they claimed was only about 40 per cent completed.
They lamented that the condition of the roads and river crossings had created serious challenges for transport operators, particularly during the rainy season when movement becomes nearly impossible.
Highlighting the impact of the abandoned projects, the unions said many drivers and transport workers suffer seasonal unemployment whenever heavy rainfall renders the makeshift routes impassable.
“We are always out of job during the rainy season because the alternative routes across the river become unusable. This affects our ability to cater for our families and fulfil our civic obligations, including tax payments,” they said.
The unions also raised concerns over the safety of commuters, noting that vehicles frequently get trapped in flooded river crossings due to mechanical faults and other emergencies.
“On many occasions, vehicles get trapped in the river. The fear of insecurity and uncertainty under such circumstances creates panic among commuters,” they added.
They further warned that the situation was affecting critical public services, including the transportation of inmates from the Mandala Correctional Centre to courts in Ilorin and the movement of patients requiring urgent medical attention.
According to them, ambulances conveying critically ill patients often face delays, while court proceedings involving suspects from the correctional facility can be disrupted during periods of flooding.
The unions also expressed fears that future elections in the area could be negatively affected if the bridges remain uncompleted.
“If the Moro and Ohan bridges are not fixed, it could affect the smooth and transparent conduct of elections in Kwara North, especially during periods of heavy rainfall,” they said.
“A situation where election materials cannot be distributed to polling units would raise questions about the credibility of such elections.”
The transport associations called on President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Works to accelerate efforts toward completing both the Oko-Olowo/Moro and Ohan bridge projects.
“We make a passionate appeal to President Tinubu to urgently put all necessary machinery in motion to complete the abandoned bridges and revive economic activities in the affected communities,” the unions stated.
They also appealed to the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to intervene and work towards finding a lasting solution to the challenges facing residents of the region.
The joint press conference was signed by Alhaji Abdulrahman Olayinka Onikijipa of RTEAN and Alhaji Abdulrasak Adeoye Ariwo-Ola of NURTW.
