Soldiers rehabilitate Ohan Bridge

By DEMOLA AKINYEMI Ilorin—Residents of Kwara and Oyo states, Wednesday, heaved a sigh of relief following the rehabilitation of Ohan Bridge by the Nigerian Army engineers which has now been opened for vehicular use. The bridge serves as the main link between Kwara and  Oyo states and  Cotonou in Benin Republic. The bridge which also linked various farmlands whereby foodstuffs were transported had been closed since 2009 following a major accident on the bridge that led to the death of several people  and cows. However, following the inability of the Federal Government and its agencies to repair the bridge after several attempts, Nigerian Army engineers took over the job. At the opening of the bridge, the General Officer  Commanding, GOC,  2 Mechanised Division, Ibadan, Major-General Mohammed Abubakar, said the rehabilitation/ reconstruction was in line with one of the social responsibilities of the Nigerian Army to the civil populace as encouraged by the Chief of Army Staff, COAS.

Abubakar stressed that the Nigerian Army was ever-ready ‘’to assist any community which seeks its assistance in the area of community development.’’ An army engineer,  Ebelebe, who supervised the project, said a team soldiers executed the project within three months. Commissioner for Works and Transport, Dr. Amuda Kannike, who represented Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State on the occasion, said the repairs cost the state government over N42 million. continued