By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

A civil society organisation has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the N20 billion LAMECO flyover in Osogbo following the development of a defect on a section of the bridge

.

Members of the group staged a peaceful protest on Friday, hours after a portion of the flyover developed a defect following heavy rainfall in the Osun State capital.

The protesters marched from Freedom Park through Oke Fia and Government House to the LAMECO flyover, carrying placards and calling for an investigation into the project.

Speaking during the protest, Executive Director of the World Institute for Peace, Lamina Omotoyosi, urged the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to conduct an independent structural integrity assessment of the flyover and other infrastructure projects executed by the current administration.

“We are calling on the Nigerian Society of Engineers to come to Osun and carry out integrity tests on the project so the public can know whether it meets the required standard,” he said.

He also appealed to anti-corruption agencies to investigate the project and urged the state government to engage the contractor over the reported defect.

“It is unfortunate that a flyover commissioned recently has developed a defect. The NSE, ICPC, EFCC and other relevant agencies should investigate, while the government should also seek explanations from the contractor responsible for the project,” Omotoyosi said.

Responding to the concerns, the Director of Highways in the Osun State Ministry of Works, Engr. Moruf Ojebode, described the issue as a minor defect and dismissed suggestions of structural failure.

According to him, preliminary findings showed that the problem resulted from a cavity beneath the asphalt, allegedly caused by vandals attempting to remove reinforcement rods beneath the bridge’s parapet wall.

“The bridge has no structural defect. What we discovered was a hole beneath the asphalt, which we believe was created during an attempt to remove iron rods under the parapet wall. This allowed rainwater to seep into the base over time, causing the affected portion to soften,” Ojebode explained.

He assured residents that the bridge remained structurally sound and that repair work was already underway.

“Every other part of the flyover is intact. This is a minor engineering defect, and there is no cause for alarm. We expect the flyover to be reopened within the next two days,” he said.