In an apparent demonstration of sympathy with the victims and families of the Ovia Bridge accident, Edo State deputy governor Phillip Shaibu has personally paid local divers N1.5 million to retrieve corpses of victims from the river.
This is as LEVANT Construction Company has swung into action following a directive given to it by Edo State government to fix the bad portion of Ovia River Bridge which has claimed so many lives and properties on the Benin-Ore Expressway. Shaibu gave the directive when he visited the Ovia River Bridge yesterday morning.
He was in the company of the commissioner for roads and bridges, Hon Ethan Uzamere and other senior government officials. Consequently, the Benin-Ore Expressway has been diverted outwards at kilometre 19 with adequate caution signs put in place by the construction firm. These include reflective condone tapes and barricades to serve as adequate caution signs to road users.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue team mobilised by Shaibu continued with operation yesterday evening with a view to rescuing victims of an accident which occurred on the bridge on Monday morning.
A Lagos-bound Sienna passenger car was said to have plunged into the river at about 11am, Monday, shortly before officials of Edo State government led by the deputy governor arrived at the scene on an unscheduled visit. The local divers had insisted on collecting N1.5 million before going into the river for the rescue operation.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Shaibu immediately demanded for the account details of the leader of the divers and transferred the money in view of the urgency.
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