Essential Ndubuisi
Ozuma bridge in Kogi collapses barely one week after Governor Yahaya Bello commissioned it , attracting heavy criticism to the quality of projects contracted in the State.
The Ozuma Bridge is situated in Okengwe, in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State and was built to cushion traffic in the area. It is also part of the governor’s supposed infrastructural revolution. Such embarrassing moments for the bridge to give way barely under one week of commissioning.
Investigation revealed that the contractors of the project used 10mm rebar for the bridge’s reinforcement. Meanwhile, 10mm rebars are used for domestic and smaller-scale projects like driveways which bear minimal loads.
For large-scale projects like bridge construction, rebar with a higher diameter is necessary, especially for durability and to be able to bear heavy duty trucks plying the bridge.
Fortunately, no life was lost and no one sustained serious injury.
