WTF AFRICA- RIVER GOODESS ANGRY

APETE BRIDGE: Is the river goddess angry?

Pedestrians on the temporary bridge at Apete, Ibadan. Photo: Seyi Sokoya

THE temporary bridge constructed by some concerned people in Apete community in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State to ensure their movement in and out of the community, which was damaged by the August 26 flood in the city was recently demolished by the state government to start the construction of a permanent one.

However, the hope of the people in the community over the bridge is still dim as the contractor in charge of the reconstruction of the bridge has not been able to control the flow of the river to enable them start the construction.

The uncontrollable flow of the river, Wakabout gathered, was as a result of the anger of the river goddess which claimed that the contractor in the process of constructing the bridge killed one of her children.

Wakabout also gathered that the goddess of the river accused the people of the community of erecting a pedestrian bridge on the head of one of her children, while the caterpillar of the construction company broke another of her children’s head.

Wakabout also learnt that the river goddess instructed the water-worshipper’s priest to warn a student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan who impregnated her daughter and abandoned her.

Against the information, Wakabout gathered that the river goddess had instructed the water-worshipper’s priest to warn the people in the community from plying the pedestrian bridge and move far from the river but the activities around the river remain as usual.

An okada rider who spoke with Wakabout on the condition of anonymity confirmed the said anger of the goddess of the river, adding that the people within the community had disregarded the rumour, and continued their business as usual.

“I believe the worshipers of the river had taken steps towards appealing to the goddess to ensure the continuation of the construction of the bridge,” he said.

Wakabout could notice some signs that some rituals could have been done on the pedestrian bridge.

Efforts to speak with the workers of the construction company in charge of the bridge proved abortive.

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