Community leader seeks speedy repair of collapsed Elebele bridge in Bayelsa

Chief John Jacobs, a Community leader and Chief in Elebele community in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa on Friday appealed for the speedy repair of the Elebele bridge which collapsed on Thursday.

The bridge which connects the state capital, Yenagoa to Ogbia, Nembe and Brass caved in when a truck laden with crushed granite stone was crossing to a construction site.

The development left scores of vehicles on both sides of the bridge stranded while residents gathered to watch the truck which fell into the river.

 “This bridge is very important to us because this is the only road to and out of our community and it leads to the oilfields across Ogbia land and it is here that oil was first discovered in the whole West African region.

“Our people rely on the bridge to convey our agricultural produce to the state capital as well as other economic activities so you can see that the bridge is strategic to us all.

“We appeal to the state and federal governments and Shell to swing to action immediately because we have no alternative,” Jacobs said

It was also gathered that the bridge was constructed in 1986 by Shell Petroleum Development Company to gain access to its oilfields in the area.