Bridge in central Nigerian state collapses a week after construction

 

The governor of the central Nigerian state of Kogi, Yahaya Bello, came under fire after a bridge constructed by his administration collapsed barely a week after its completion, according to media reports.

There has not been any confirmation of any casualties or the amount of damage following the incident.

The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) accused Bello’s administration of using substandard materials in constructing the Ozuma Bridge in Okene which reportedly cost millions of naira.

“The PDP youth also knocked Governor Bello over the collapse of a bridge built by his administration just after one week of construction, noting that such is indicative of the shambolic state of governance in the state under an imprudent and manifestly misguided leadership,” the party said in a statement.

The PDP also called for an inquiry into the governor over the incident which, it argued, put the lives of people in danger.

“The PDP youths demands that Yahaya Bello should face investigation at the appropriate time for using substandard materials to construct a bridge, thereby endangering lives in the state.”

Africa’s most populous nations has fallen victim to incidents of collapse of infrastructure, especially buildings, in recent years. This phenomenon has been blamed mainly on poor enforcement of construction regulations and the use of substandard materials.