The Oyo State government has revoked the contract for the reconstruction of the Apete bridge, located in the state capital and promised that a new contractor would move to site in the next 24 hours, after due process must have been observed.

The state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Yunus Akintunde, made this known after he, in company with the commissioners for Information, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Environment and the special advisers on physical planning and media, addressed the press after the state weekly executive council meeting.

According to the commissioner, 15 other bridges damaged across the state during the flood exercise that occurred on Saturday had also been collated, adding that urgent reconstruction work would be carried out on them.

Apparently irked by the slow pace of work on the rehabilitation of the Apete bridge, the government said it had decided that a new contractor would take over within the next few hours.

Meanwhile, the authorities of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, have announced a one-week break for the students of the institution, following the collapse of the pedestrian bridge at Apete.

According to a statement signed on behalf of the acting registrar, Tomi Olatunji, by the public relations officer of the institution, Alhaji Soladoye Adewole, “the break was to give the students some respite, while relevant authorities worked on the construction of another bridge.”

Also speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the Dean, Faculty of Student Affairs, Mr Bayo Oyeleke, said “the major reason behind the one-week break was to allow the government to salvage the situation within the period.”

The institution, however, warned the students against any desperate move to either cross the river to Apete from the institution or cross from Apete through any unethical means.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited The Polytechnic end of the Apete river, a canoe operator was seen transporting students and other residents of Apete to and from the river banks for a transport fare of N50 per passenger.

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written by Ronk, July 17, 2012

There shld be a rapid response to this situation on ground.A lot of people have lost their loved ones in this flood and we cannot stop rain from falling.I plead that everything needed gor the construction of the bridge should be gotten and d bridge should be constructed fast and well without leaving any stone unturned.The lord is our strength.

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