Numerous holidaymakers are
stranded in Onitsha, Anambra state, as the River Niger bridge is currently
closed to all road users.
According to the travellers,
police officers, members of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and
authorities from the state government, announced to them that gate to the
bridge would remain locked till 3pm because of the ongoing local government
election in Delta state.
The travellers, going back to
their various bases, mostly in the south-west, said they have been stuck in the
resulting gridlock for over four hours with no respite in sight.
“We have been here since 6 am,”
one of the stranded commuters who identified himself as Emeka revealed.
“The traffic is at standstill.
The bridge is locked he said. I can’t believe that they can lock a federal
bridge because of the local government elections.”“They didn’t even announce
that the bridge will be locked”.
Emeka said the authorities
present “even scammed” the travellers.
He explained that the entrance to
the bridge from Onitsha was opened after the travellers protested but that the
exit remain closed.
One commercial bus driver, Uche
of the Imo state Transport Company, said “it is a tough time for the drivers”.
“Nobody can believe it. They say
the bridge will not be opened till the election is over. Now the traffic
stretches to Upper Iweka”, Uche said.
But Bisi Kazeem, spokesman of the
FRSC, justified the closure.
“It is because of the local
government elections in 25 local governments that the bridge was shut down,” he
said.
“But now (1 pm), I can
authoritatively tell you that it is opened because of the cars on the bridge.
Kazeem said that there was a
press release by the FRSC to announce the decision to shut the bridge.
The press release, he said, was
sent on Friday, January 5, but did not gain traction in the media with rarely
any broadcast, print or online media bearing the news.
He sent the release to TheCable
via WhatsApp.
”Elections will be conducted in
25 local government areas of Delta state on 06/01/18. There will be
restrictions on vehicular movement from 6:00hrs to 15:00hrs,” the statement
read.
“The roads will be closed at the
boundaries between Edo and Delta states as well as between Delta and Anambra
states respectively from 6:00hrs till 15:00hrs. Motorists from Edo axis are
advised to go through Warri- East-West roads – Portharcourt- Anambra.
“Similarly, motorists from
Anambra are advised to go through Enugu- Ajaokuta – Okene – Akure – Ibadan.”
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