NDDC says no bridge collapsed in Bayelsa, calls site incident a construction accident

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has pushed back against social media reports that a bridge it is building in Bayelsa State collapsed, saying the structure is not yet standing.

The project is the 600-metre Otuogori-Otuegwe Bridge in Otuogori community, Ogbia Local Government Area. According to the commission, something did go wrong at the site, but it was an accident during construction, not the failure of a finished bridge.

Godknows Alamieyeseigha, the NDDC director for Bayelsa, spoke to journalists during an inspection of the site. He said the work has not reached the point where a bridge exists, because crews are still placing beams.

We don't have a bridge yet because we are still at the stage of crossing the beams. So, no bridge has collapsed.

He said the commission is still looking into what happened at the site. He also rejected the idea that structural failure caused it, calling it an accident that occurred while work was going on.

What the contractor says

Christian Emiezor, managing director of the construction firm, gave a similar account. He said the project is still at the preparation stage, with workers positioning beams on their bearings before the main structure goes up.

According to him, one beam that had not yet been secured slid while it was being launched into place. He described it as a minor accident and said safety measures at the site meant nobody was hurt.

Both men said the bridge is being built to approved standards. Alamieyeseigha added that NDDC engineers and independent consultants inspect project sites across the Niger Delta, and that the current board led by Chairman Chiedu Ebie and Managing Director Samuel Ogbuku has made quality assurance a priority.

He also said no bridge has collapsed in Bayelsa or in any of the nine Niger Delta states.

Why it matters

Bridge projects in the Niger Delta are a big deal for residents. Many communities depend on them to move farm produce, goods and people, especially where roads are cut off by creeks and floods. When word spreads online that a bridge has failed, it worries people who are waiting for the road link.

For now, the commission and its contractor say the project is still on course and that the company will fix whatever the assessment turns up. Residents will be watching to see how quickly work resumes and whether the bridge is delivered as promised.