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…Blast Neglect Of Home Ward By Other Party Candidate, Says Bridges Should Not Take 3 Months To Fix
In a major boost to grassroots infrastructure and community connectivity in Oyo South Senatorial District, the Senatorial Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Engr. Dr. Aderemi Abass Oseni, on Tuesday, flagged off the reconstruction of two strategically important but long-collapsed community bridges in Ibadan Southwest and Ido Local Government Areas of Oyo State.
The two bridges; Poopola Bridge in Bolumole/Poopola Area, Challenge and Araromi Janjoko Bridge at Oloruntumo in Apata, have for years cut off vital road links, hindered economic activities and subjected residents to untold hardship, despite repeated appeals to government and serving representatives.
Hon. Remi Oseni’s first port of call was the Poopola Bridge in Bolumole/Poopola Area of Challenge, Ibadan Southwest Local Government. The bridge, which collapsed in 2021, is a critical link connecting Old NEPA to Adeoyo State Hospital, Orita Challenge, Oluyole and surrounding communities.
The intervention was facilitated by Hon. Olayinka Faniyi of Ibadan Southwest Constituency 2, who joined community leaders to receive the APC Senatorial Candidate.
Community leaders, who spoke with emotion, told Hon. Oseni that several candidates from other political parties had in the past visited the collapsed structure, taken pictures and made promises, but no reconstruction followed.
The community chairman disclosed that residents had, as far back as 2021, approached the State Ministry of Works seeking approval and support for the reconstruction, but nothing was done.
He praised Hon. Oseni’s hands-on, professional approach, describing him as ‘a true engineer’
for the visible technical guidance and detailed advice he gave to the field engineer on site during the inspection.
Pa Alex, the community chairman, expressed profound appreciation to Hon. Oseni for honouring the community with his presence and for earlier sending delegates who, according to him, must have given him a true report of the deplorable condition of the bridge.
In his remarks, Hon. Engr. Dr. Aderemi Abas Oseni likened his determination to rebuild the collapsed infrastructure to the biblical Nehemiah, who faced fierce opposition from Sanballat and Tobiah while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
He recalled similar resistance to his community support programmes in Mokola, Alaro, Sango and Elebu, where he said opposition elements hurriedly rushed to install transformers and intervene on road projects just to counter his efforts after he had initiated them.
Hon. Remi Oseni expressed disappointment that the candidate of another party, who hails from the area, had neglected his own home ward and allowed the collapsed bridge to remain unattended for four years while focusing on competing for projects with him across Oyo South Senatorial District.
His words: “As an APC candidate in the coming election, I am here on behalf of the APC to fix this collapsed bridge since 2021 that the sitting government has failed to execute and the federal representative has failed to attend to.
“This is a small project with an existing road that is well within the capability of the federal representative to execute. If it were not within his purview, I would have sympathised with him. But this is not so. The road is about 12ft span and 8ft wide that will allow easy passage of two vehicles, standard road size. It should be completed within two to three months,” he affirmed.
Hon. Remi Oseni disclosed that the projects form part of the economic support and people-oriented initiatives inspired by the love President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has for the Nigerian people.
He added that technical guidance has been given to the contractor, Menza Iffany Construction Company, and that preliminary works, including removal of collapsed rubble and excavation for the two retaining walls, will begin immediately, while full construction proceeds alongside documentation.
According to him, the completion of the Poopola Bridge will open up livelihoods and ease movement for residents of Bolumole, Adeoyo, Fodacis, Orita Challenge and adjoining communities.
The community leader, in his response, urged residents to support the APC and warned against accepting ‘undue and diversionary support’ from other groups, advising them to redirect any such offers to neighbouring communities.
From Challenge, Hon. Remi Oseni proceeded to Ido Local Government Area for the flag-off of the reconstruction of the Araromi Janjoko Bridge at Oloruntumo in the Apata area.
The bridge, which has been broken for about 15 years, serves Oloruntumo, Ifenirepo, Aba Ayinde and several other agrarian and residential communities, whose socio-economic life has been severely hampered by its collapse.
Community members, who described themselves as long-time supporters of Hon. Remi Oseni, trooped out in large numbers to receive him, expressing gratitude for his presence and intervention.
The community youth leader, Comrade Rasheed Adewale Opakan, said residents were filled with joy that Hon. Remi Oseni had finally come “to save the community and open up the area” with the reconstruction of the bridge.
Addressing the community, Engr. Remi Oseni explained that he had earlier assisted the community with the renovation of its community hall, but based on pictures of the collapsed bridge sent to him, he felt the need to personally assess the situation on ground.
He announced that the Oloruntumo bridge will be awarded alongside the Bolumole bridge project, with both works commencing simultaneously and targeted for completion before the election.
Hon. Remi Oseni specially appreciated community leaders as well as Chief Oloruntele, whom he visited at his residence in the same community, for their warm reception and steadfast support.
The dual flag-offs mark a significant step in addressing long-standing infrastructure deficits in the affected areas of Ibadan Southwest and Ido Local Government Areas.
Residents across both communities expressed optimism that the projects, when completed, will not only ease movement and reduce travel time but also boost local economic activities, improve access to healthcare at Adeoyo Hospital, enhance farm-to-market linkages and restore dignity to the communities.
For many, Hon. Remi Oseni’s intervention has rekindled hope that true representation, anchored on engineering competence, empathy and action, has finally come to Oyo South Senatorial District.
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