By Omotayo Ayanda
The people of Megida in Ipaye District of Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State have raised the alarm over the state of the Weru River Bridge, which links their community to several others and is now on the brink of collapse.
The bridge, constructed in early 1980s, was reportedly facilitated by the late former Second Republic Senate Leader, Dr. Abubakar Olushola Saraki. However, it has now become a nightmare for motorists and farmers, who face difficulties in transporting farm produce to markets due to its poor condition.
The people of this agrarian community fear being cut off from their ancestral homes, where they earn their livelihoods, as well as from neighboring communities, should the bridge collapse. They are appealing to the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for urgent intervention.
Governor AbdulRahman has stated that his administration will not abandon any project funded with taxpayers’ money, regardless of its political history. The people of Maigida hope this policy will guide the government in fixing the Weru River Bridge and completing the road leading into their township.
The community is also grappling with other challenges, including a lack of electricity due to vandalized cables and power installations, lack of potable water, and bad roads, raising concerns over their well-being and security.
The motorable road from the Weru River Bridge leading to Megida township, which ends after Oguntola community, was tarred during the administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
When the Community Voice Network (CVN) crew visited the community last weekend, scores of youths, transporters, market women, and farmers expressed their concerns, calling on the government for urgent assistance.
With over 100 adjoining villages, Megida community has, over the years, served as a gateway between Ilorin and Kaiama.
The Chairman of the Farmers’ Union in Megida, Alhaji Saka Alabi Alaparun, said the situation is having a negative impact on agricultural practices, the mainstay of the community. He explained that transporting farm produce to markets has become a big challenge, especially during the rainy season, due to the poor condition of the Weru River Bridge and the connecting road.
CVN also gathered that motorists plying the road are incurring additional costs because of the challenges posed by the deteriorated bridge and road conditions.
Leaders of transport unions in the Banni and Megida branches, Jimoh Safi and others, told reporters that over 500 vehicles ply the road daily, transporting farm produce and animals to different parts of the state.
Many locals lamented that they are forced to use roads in Oyo State, where they pay significant revenue to the Oyo State Government to reach their destinations, particularly during the rainy season.
“Whenever we complain about the revenue they collect from us in Oyo State, they tell us to go back to Kwara. We want to ply Kwara to Kwara. We don’t mind paying revenue to our state; the government should please help us fix this bridge,” said Saka Gada, a commercial transporter and Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Banni branch.
He added that motorists can only manage the road during the dry season.
A community leader, Engineer Ibrahim Lawal, told CVN that during the peak of the rainy season, the volume of water overflowing the bridge rises to the neck of an adult.
For Alhaji A.I. Jimoh Ipaye and Alhaji Faruq Yusuf, also known as FAYOS Motors, the community’s number one priority is for the government to fix the caving Weru Bridge.
The duo, who passionately expressed their hopes for the community’s challenges to be addressed, appealed to the ruling APC government to assist in fixing the Weru Bridge, extending the tarred road to Megida township, and electrifying the town.
Their requests were corroborated by the community head, Daudu Megida, Alhaji Abdulwahab Sulyman Omokayode, who warmly welcomed the CVN crew to his residence.
