Oyo State governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, has been called upon to fix the dilapidated Itosi River Bridge along Ilu-Aje Village, Ilora in Afijio local government area of State, to prevent loss of more lives on the bridge linking the community with Akinyele local government area of the state.
The appeal followed the death of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the community, Hon. Gabriel Olayiwola.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the deceased, who was also a farmer, lost his life when his motorcycle, which had bags of fertilizer strapped to it, glided off the ramshackle bridge into the river.
Reacting to Olayiwola’s death, another APC chieftain in the LGA, Alhaji Ademola Wasiu Alli, lamented the tragic and untimely passing of the party faithful, describing him as more than just a loyal party member, but a “dependable pillar, a unifying force, and a respected voice of wisdom within our ranks.”
He further described the deceased as one who embodied the virtues of conviction, courage, and integrity. “His tireless commitment to the progressive cause and his continuous efforts in strengthening our political structure will remain indelibly etched in our hearts.”
Alli called on the Oyo State government and relevant authorities to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
“Furthermore, I urge them to take swift and decisive action to ensure such a preventable tragedy never occurs again. The safety and well-being of our people must always remain a top priority,” he said.
Another resident who craved anonymity lamented that aside from Olayiwola, the bridge had claimed the life of another resident of the community earlier in the year, adding that the tragedy could have been prevented if swift action had been taken.
“Although the villagers have tried their possible best to put this bridge in a manageable condition by contributing money to put it in the present condition. The bridge has been a death point to our beloved community members and many more to come, if drastic measure is not taken.
“We cannot continue to watch silently as more lives are endangered due to this infrastructural neglect. We are therefore making a passionate appeal to His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, a leader who has always shown commitment to the welfare of the people, to kindly intervene with immediate alacrity,” he appealed.
He further appealed to the lawmaker representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Senator Yunus Akintude, to support the community in halting avoidable deaths of innocent souls by facilitating the construction of the bridge.
Residents of the community also appealed to the lawmaker representing Oyo Federal Constituency, Hon. Akeem Adeyemi, “to please help us out of their legislative duty to look into this and fulfill their campaign mandate as promised when campaigning to the House of Representatives seat back in 2023.”
Similar appeals were made to the lawmaker representing Afijio state constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Oladeji Oparinde, and chairman of the local government area council, Hon. Femi Aikomo, among others.
