Officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, have dismissed reports circulating on social media alleging the collapse of a bridge project executed by the commission at the Otuogori community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The NDDC Director for the Bayelsa State Office, Engineer Godknows Alamieyeseigha, gave the clarification while conducting journalists on a site assessment tour, insisting that the bridge—which is still under construction—did not collapse.
Social media platforms were recently awash with viral claims that the ongoing 600-metre Otuogori-Otuegwe Bridge in Ogbia Local Government Area had collapsed. The panic followed an incident last Thursday, October 29, when a construction beam slipped during the early preparatory phase of the project.
However, the NDDC leadership, led by the Bayelsa State Director, Engineer Godknows Alamieyeseigha, rushed to the site to set the record straight, dismissing the collapse rumors as entirely false.
While acknowledging that an incident indeed occurred at the site, the Director attributed it to a minor handling mishap rather than any structural failure. He assured the public that preliminary investigations are ongoing, pledging that the commission will make its findings public upon completion.
Corroborating the NDDC’s position, the Managing Director of the construction firm handling the project, Jillian Group, Mr. Christian Emeozor, clarified that the main bridge structure remains intact. He explained that the mishap was strictly limited to a beam-handling procedure during the preliminary stage, and assured that work on the project is progressing steadily.
The Otuogori-Otuegwe Bridge, scheduled for completion in September 2027, is a critical infrastructure project designed to provide vital road access to several coastal communities in Ogbia Local Government Area, including Ayakoro—the hometown of the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.
By: Alambo Datonye, Bayelsa
