The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Oyo South, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has flagged off the reconstruction of two collapsed bridges in Ibadan Southwest and Ido Local Government Areas of Oyo State, pledging to personally finance both projects.

The bridges, located at Poopola in the Bolumole area of Ringroad and Oloruntumo in Apata, have remained in disrepair for years, disrupting movement and economic activities in the affected communities.

Speaking during the flag-off exercises on Tuesday, the lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency said his decision to undertake the reconstruction was informed by the hardship residents had endured and the need to restore vital access routes.

“I am here to ensure that this collapsed bridge, which has remained unattended to since 2021, is reconstructed and that our people are relieved of the difficulties they have faced over the years,” he said.

Oseni disclosed that both projects would be handled by Menza Iffany Construction Company, with work scheduled to commence simultaneously and completion targeted within two to three months.

The APC chieftain said preliminary activities would include the removal of collapsed materials and excavation for the construction of retaining walls, adding that technical guidance had been provided to ensure proper execution.

Describing the projects as practical interventions with direct benefits for the affected communities, he said infrastructure challenges that hinder people’s movement and livelihoods deserved urgent attention.

“Development should translate into tangible improvements in the lives of the people. These bridges are important to the communities they serve, and I am committed to ensuring that the work is completed within the stipulated period,” he added.

The Poopola Bridge, which collapsed in 2021, connects Old Nepa to Adeoyo State Hospital, Orita and Oluyole, while the Oloruntumo Bridge, which has been broken for about 15 years, serves Oloruntumo, Aba Ayinde and other neighbouring communities.

Oseni said his intervention in Oloruntumo followed earlier support for the renovation of the community hall. He explained that after receiving photographs showing the deplorable condition of the bridge, he considered it necessary to visit the community and personally assess the situation before committing to its reconstruction.

Community representatives at both locations welcomed the intervention, expressing optimism that the reconstruction would ease transportation difficulties, improve access and stimulate economic activities.

The Poopola community chairman, Pa Alex, recalled that residents had sought government assistance since 2021, while the Oloruntumo youth leader, Rasheed Adewale Opakan, described the proposed reconstruction as a welcome development that would open up the community.

In a statement announcing the flag-off, Oseni’s Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele, said the intervention reflected the lawmaker’s commitment to responding to pressing community needs through practical development initiatives.

The Oyo South Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Aderemi Oseni, has released N110m for youth digital training, boreholes and solar-powered streetlights across the 10 wards of Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to a statement by the lawmaker’s media aide, Idowu Ayodele, made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, the intervention comprises N10m for equipping the Eruwa Youth Movement (EYM) Secretariat’s Information and Communication Technology Centre (ICT) and N100m for the provision of boreholes and solar-powered streetlights in Eruwa, Lanlate and other communities across the local government.

Oseni, who chairs the House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said the ICT centre allocation was intended to provide modern equipment to strengthen digital training and equip young people with practical skills relevant to employment and entrepreneurship.

He said the investment was driven by the need to prepare young people for the demands of an increasingly technology-driven economy.

“Our young people have talents and ambitions, but they need access to the right tools and opportunities. Equipping the Eruwa Youth Movement (EYM) ICT Centre is a practical step towards helping them develop useful skills, become more self-reliant and compete for opportunities in the digital economy,” he was quoted as saying.

The lawmaker explained that the larger allocation of N100m would support the provision of boreholes and solar-powered streetlights across the 10 wards of Ibarapa East.

He said the boreholes would improve access to water for households, while the streetlights would enhance security, improve visibility and make community roads and public spaces safer after dark.

Idowu said the latest intervention was in addition to the lawmaker’s earlier constituency development efforts in Ido and Ibarapa East local government areas, particularly in basic infrastructure and youth development.

He added that distributing the projects across the 10 wards was aimed at ensuring that communities across the local government benefited from the intervention.

“Our responsibility is to support projects that respond to the real needs of our people. Access to water, safer public spaces and opportunities for our young people are important to the well-being of our communities,” Oseni was further quoted as saying.

The APC senatorial candidate reaffirmed his commitment to effective representation and sustained grassroots engagement, assuring residents that he would continue to support initiatives addressing the needs of communities across the district.

The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has promised prompt payment of salaries, allowances and other entitlements to workers, saying their welfare would be a priority if elected governor in 2027.

Alli’s promise comes amid industrial actions by medical and dental officers in the Oyo State public service and lecturers at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, over unresolved welfare issues and outstanding entitlements.

Members of the Association of Medical and Dental Officers of Oyo State (AMDO), who provide medical services in government health facilities, commenced a seven-day warning strike on Monday, October 26, while members of the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began an indefinite strike on Thursday, October 29.

The two industrial actions have raised concerns over healthcare delivery in government hospitals and the disruption of academic activities at the state-owned university.

Reacting to the development, Alli criticised Governor Seyi Makinde over the unresolved disputes, accusing his administration of failing to adequately address workers’ welfare and the challenges confronting the state’s healthcare and education sectors.

In a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, Bisi Oladele, the APC candidate described the strikes as disturbing, particularly given their implications for patients and students.

He questioned how a government that consistently proclaimed its commitment to workers’ welfare could allow disputes over outstanding allowances and the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement to degenerate into industrial action.

According to the statement, AMDO’s demands include payment of outstanding allowances, restoration of salaries of medical personnel transferred from field assignments to the Ministry of Health and resolution of other welfare-related issues.

The LAUTECH ASUU branch is demanding implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, payment of outstanding earned academic allowances and promotion arrears, as well as improvements in the university’s facilities and administrative structure.

Alli expressed particular concern over the implications of the doctors’ strike for residents who depend on public hospitals, especially pregnant women, children, pensioners and low-income families.

“At a time when Oyo State government hospitals are struggling with shortages of medical personnel, inadequate equipment and other operational challenges, the state can ill-afford the prolonged withdrawal of services by its doctors and dental officers.

“The consequences are borne not by government officials who can afford private medical care, but by ordinary citizens, particularly pregnant women, children, pensioners and low-income families who depend on public healthcare facilities. Every additional day of this strike raises serious concerns about access to emergency treatment, continuity of care and the welfare of vulnerable patients,” the statement quoted him as saying.

The APC candidate also faulted Makinde for allegedly prioritising political activities outside the state while the disputes remained unresolved, arguing that the governor should concentrate on addressing the challenges confronting residents rather than pursuing his presidential ambition.

He described the situation as a contradiction of the administration’s repeated claims about its commitment to workers’ welfare, insisting that government must demonstrate its concern through the prompt settlement of legitimate entitlements and improved working conditions.

The campaign organisation appealed to the striking medical personnel and lecturers to remain open to meaningful dialogue, while acknowledging their right to pursue legitimate employment demands through lawful means.

It also called on the state government to make immediate contingency arrangements to protect patients requiring emergency and life-saving medical attention throughout the period of the industrial action.

Reaffirming his commitment to workers’ welfare, Alli promised that his administration, if elected, would prioritise regular payment of salaries and allowances, constructive engagement with labour unions and improved facilities across public hospitals.

“Unlike Governor Makinde, Senator Alli will place the welfare of healthcare professionals, education and the wellbeing of the people at the heart of his administration.

“His government will prioritise prompt payment of salaries and allowances, constructive engagement with medical personnel and the provision of modern equipment and essential facilities in public hospitals,” the statement added.