Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has directed an immediate security reinforcement around the Olaiya Flyover following intelligence reports suggesting a potential plot by opposition elements to damage the bridge and blame it on the government.
According to a statement by Mallam Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to the Governor, the directive came on the heels of recent rumors alleging a planned attack on the Olaiya Flyover, reportedly intended to undermine the government’s commitment to public infrastructure.
Governor Adeleke dismissed these reports as “fake news,” labeling them a tactic by opposition forces to stir public alarm and discredit the administration.
The statement reads, “Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed immediate beefing up of security around the Ola Iya bridge area to protect the facility from vandals and reckless drivers.
“The directive came amidst reports of false alarm raised about deliberate sabotage of the bridge, a fake news interpreted as a possible planned attack on the bridge with a view to blame it on the government.
“There was no human premeditated attack on the bridge as insinuated by the opposition. Rather, a trailer was reported to have hit a section of the bridge as confirmed by the police. The report of a government sponsored attack on the bridge is mere fake news.
“To prevent the opposition from capitalizing on the accident to carry out sabotage to be blamed on the government, Governor Adeleke has subsequently directed security agencies to beef up security around the facility to secure it from possible attacks by fifth columnists who planned to blame it on the government.
“The report at the the disposal of the state government indicated that elements within the opposition may be planning to tamper with the structures of the bridge and then turned around to blame it on the government. This is to pursue their fanciful fake news that the state government is planning to demolish the bridge.
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“Mr Governor has therefore instructed service commanders to mount surveillance around the bridge and apprehend any fifth columnist found to be engaging in infra terrorism to face the full wrath of the law.
“Mr Governor has also reiterated his satisfaction with his directive to ban heavy duty trucks from plying the bridge as recommended by the state security council and and is the practice in several major cities as a strategy to protect such bridges from any likely deterioration or possible collapse due to excessive load carriage.
“There is no plan to demolish Olaiya bridge. Our goal is to secure it from any likely overburden, overload that may create possible collapse over time. The bridge is a state asset and I have a duty to secure and protect it.”
On Okefia/LAMECO overhead bridges, the State Governor commended the contractor for executing the tasks in line with best practices and in a format that met global standards as obtainable in Europe and North America.
“I inspected the dualisation and overhead bridges privately this week. With opinions from the Nigerian Society of Engineers and experts who have worked on similar flyovers all over the world, I am proud of the quality of job done by our local engineers”, the statement quoted the governor as saying.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
