R-L: The NDDC Director, Bayelsa State Office, Engr. Godknows Alamieyeseigha; the Managing Director of the construction firm, Engineer Christian Emeozor, and the NDDC Director, UIDW, Engr. Kinsley Oboh, inspecting the Otuogori-Otuegwe Bridge in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has debunked reports circulating on social media alleging the collapse of a bridge project executed by the Commission in Otuogori community, Bayelsa State.
The Commission described the report as misleading, in a statement issued by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, on November 2, 2026.
According to the statement, the NDDC Director, Bayelsa State Office, Engr. Godknows Alamieyeseigha, who addressed journalists at the site of the 600-metre Otuogori-Otuegwe Bridge in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, clarified that the bridge, which is still under construction, did not collapse.
“We don’t have a bridge yet because we are still at the stage of crossing the beams. So, no bridge has collapsed. However, there was an incident at the construction site, and we are assessing the circumstances surrounding what happened at the site,” Alamieyeseigha was quoted as saying.
He dismissed concerns that the incident resulted from structural failure, describing it as an accident that occurred during construction, and expressed confidence in the construction company to address issues identified during the assessment and complete the project.
Alamieyeseigha told journalists who inspected the project with NDDC officials that no bridge has collapsed anywhere in Bayelsa State or any of the nine Niger Delta states.
He said the current Board and Management, led by its Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie and Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, have made quality assurance a top priority, moving the Commission from transactional to transformational development.
He added that NDDC engineers and independent consultants regularly supervise project sites across the Niger Delta to ensure all projects are executed in line with approved engineering designs and standards.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the construction firm, Engr. Christian Emeozor, assured that the Otuogori-Otuegwe Bridge was being executed to the highest standards.
Emeozor explained that the bridge was still in the preparatory stage, with work focused on positioning the beams before constructing the main bridge structure, noting that the incident occurred during the launching of the bridge beams.
“We are constructing a 600-metre bridge, but as you can see, we have not constructed a bridge yet. What you are seeing is just preparations for the bridge,” he said.
“What was going on was the launching of the beams, and in the process, there was a slight incident because the beam was resting on a bearing and had not been secured, it could slide. That was what happened,” he added.
He described the incident as a minor accident, adding that safety measures at the site helped prevent casualties.
“The good thing is that, with the safety measures put in place, no life was lost,” he said.
