The residents of Ona-Ara Local Government, Ibadan, Oyo State have expressed their displeasure with the ASCG contractors over poor handling of Ogbere-Tioya bridge and inability to make provision for alternative routes while the project commences.
The residents after meeting of ASCG Contractors and Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project(IUFMP) with the notable stakeholders of Ona-Ara Local Council lamented that the meeting of the duo with the stakeholders was fruitful but failed to address the notable areas that would subsequently guarantee the standard and acceptable bridge and road.
The residents who declined to mention their names said that they were at the meeting held on Thursday, March 18 in Ibadan where Ona-Ara Stakeholders had engagement with ASCG Contractors and IUFMP on possibility and attainment of acceptable bridge and road.
They stressed that though the contractors reiterated to construct a better Ogbere-Tioya bridge, the stakeholders were not genuinely convinced on possibility of attaining the standard one, having woefully failed on construction of recently collapsed pedestrian bridge meant to address the residents’ hardship.
Anonymous residents stressed that the collapsed pedestrian bridge had made the people of the area and most importantly the road users to begin to doubt the professionalism, integrity and expertise of the contractors.
Adding that the contractors had fruitful engagement with the stakeholders but had not genuinely convinced and shown professionalism and expertise to believe the standard of their projects.
In their response, ASCG Construction Company, said that the temporary bridge would be made available and its reliability will be tested through plying of two loaded trailers, stressing that while the project is in progress, alternative routes at Baba-rere, Bode and Jegede would be instantly provided to lessen the hardship and trafick gridlock.
The project manager whose name withheld said that the time frame given for the completion of the project calls fof cutting off the two bridges at a time, but one must have been completed before the dismantling of the second one.
He said that the ultimatum of three(3) months had been given to expedite all necessary actions and ensures that the project completes within the limited timeframe, saying all equipment and the needed materials had been made available to put the bridge in order.
The Caretaker Chairman of the Local Government, Hon Musbaudeen Adesina Shabba said that they had resolution on provision of temporary bridge at Ariyo, provision of three alternative routes, the two bridges should not be cut off and the road should be completed within three months respectively.
The meeting had attendance of Business owners, Motorists, Landlords, Landladies, Oil marketers, Students and Youth Leaders among others.
