The newly constructed Ojumele-Ajegunle road in Makun-Sagamu, Sagamu Local Government area of Ogun State has collapsed two months after it was commissioned for use.

The excitement of residents who had expressed joy over the rehabilitation of the road was short-lived as the road caved in after a downpour on Sunday.

The Sunday downpour had wreaked havoc on some parts of the state destroying electricity poles and properties especially in Ota area of Ado Odo/Ota.

The road which was rehabilitated by the Dapo Abiodun-led administration was washed away by the flood.

But reacting the state government blamed the destruction of the road on human error and not project deficiency.

The Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Kayode Akinmade in a statement in Abeokuta on Monday, said the collector drainage for the storm water in the area was silted up due to indiscriminate refuse disposal, causing the water to overflow during the downpour.

He added that in the same vein, a car wash owner ignorantly built a cover slab on the drain without adequate engineering guidance and advice from experts, thus impeding the flow of water into the drain during the heavy rain.

According to him, appropriate authorities had swiftly moved to the area for prompt repairs, even as the government was very sad about the unfortunate development and regretted the inconveniences this might have caused the residents.

“The reason for the damage was simply that the collector drainage for the storm water in the area was silted up due to indiscriminate refuse disposal, which made the water to overflow during the downpour of Sunday afternoon”, Akinmade said.

 

It is not the first time newly constructed road or bridge is collapaing in Ogun State.

For example, the Adigbe-Opako bridge constructed by the administration collapsed within less than one year after its construction.

The bridge, linking Abeokuta metropolis to the Sango-Lagos highway via Obada, collapsed a few weeks after Governor Dapo Abiodun assumed office.

The state government swung into action to reconstruct the bridge, being the only alternative road linking Abeokuta to the old Lagos road.

On July 13, 2019, Governor Abiodun was at the Adigbe to inspect the bridge as he ordered the closure of the road to avoid accidents or loss of lives and to “hasten the total reconstruction of the collapsed bridge.”

At the end of September 2019, the road was reopened again for public use after construction.

However, on Friday, the 10th of July, 2020 the reconstructed bridge collapsed again after heavy rainfall.

 

Additional report from New Telegraph