Date: 2017-11-01

Worried by incessant collapse of bridges and culverts in Kwara state, the State House of Assembly has directed the State Ministry of Environment and Forestry to embark on desilting of drainages across the state to check the ugly trend.

The House gave the directive in its Tuesday's sitting, following a Matter of General Public Importance raised by a member representing Ilorin North West Constituency, Hon. Abdul Rafiu Abdul Rahman on the Need for the Reconstruction of Adangba - Abayawo - Okelele - Kongbari road and culvert " by the state government.

The Deputy Speaker, Elder Matthew Okedare, who presided over the sitting, said the directive became imperative to prevent further collapse of bridges and culverts in the state so as not to hamper vehicular movement in the state.

The Legislature equally mandated the Ministry to make the monthly Environmental Sanitation more effective to further reduce blockage of drainages and environmental hazards in the state.

The House also directed its Committee in Energy, Works and Transport to visit the road, Alagbado and Coca-Cola collapsed bridges with a view to giving first hand information on the affected bridges latest next week Thursday. Hon. Abdul - Rahman had while raising the Matter, narrated the ordeal of the people of the area, since the collapse of the culvert and appealed to the House to urge the state owned Road Maintainance Agency to wade in, in view of its strategic importance to the socio - economic emancipation of the state. Other Members who spoke on the matter frowned at non implementation of the resolutions of the House, in respect of some collapsed bridges and culverts in Ilorin metropolis and advocated the resuscitation of the weekly briefing of the parliament, by the Commissioners in the state on the activities of their respective Ministry.