Witches on the Egbe bridge

Witches on the Egbe bridge

IT was not funny but believe it or not, there are indications that there are witches on the Egbe, Ikotun  bridge. If not, why do we experience frequent traffic jam on the bridge even at unusual hours?

The badly chipped concrete and pave way on the bridge has heightened the rate of accident and traffic on Ikotun-Ejigbo road.

The theory of the witches on the bridge was not posited by me. I remember one of my trips home in our staff bus, Mr. Ibidu, the bus driver will always pray that the ghost or witches on the Egbe bridge be asleep for if they are, this will mean that there will be no traffic.

This was when the road was good, when Governor Fashola’s government came on board and you could see no potholes like we have now.

I always thought it was only Mr. Ibidu and I who believed the theory of  witches on the bridge but this is not so. Last week, I boarded a bus from Cele express and as we got to Ejigbo everbody in bus started wishing that that there was no traffic on the Egbe bridge.

“Abeg make una pray make the witches on the bridge no dey active if not  the worst go happen“,  said Taiwo as he looked out from the window.

The driver replied: My brother na true yu talk make we pray make this Iya Oshorongha dey sleep if not we go stay tay.

Beside me in the bus, a young man in clean Danny jean and red top began :’I just wonder how those who live in the areas along this route cope. Just imagine I spent four hours on this bridge  two days ago why?,’ he asked as though expecting someone to explain  the reason for the unusual traffic jam on the bridge.

But he went on: ‘All because one truck got stuck on the bridge and there were no LASTMA to help out that was after we had meandered through from Isolo to this bridge. The road was a total lock jam and I hear it’s not different even in the morning.’

‘Really there are witches on this bridge’ A commuter in front of us said ‘if not why has the bridge not been repaired the other time I learnt that they say the bridge is not bad’

Who said? An angry voice in front responded.

Not paying him any attention the lady speaking continued: ‘Can’t you see what is happening to the bridge over there after two incidents of broken down trailers the bridge is showing more signs of getting ready to kill and am sure the witches here are gearing up to suck blood and bet me they will the way things are going concerning this bridge they sure will.’

‘Abeg God forbid’ a woman behind her prayed

‘Madam abeg stop that! ‘God will not come and do this bridge if we don’t do something now. Look the other day I lost my tyres’

Thank God at this point we could see that our prayers were answered as the bridge had free flow of traffic which meant that the witches were asleep as the commuters had prayed

The man went on: ‘My tyres were torn by the shape iron peeping from the concrete part of the road since all the tar is all gone. I’ve not made enough money to replace them that is why  I’m here. Many people am sure would have suffered a similar fate.’

As our bus moved slowly on the bridge, we had a loud sound behind us and that was when the witches woke up.

The driver of a  bus going in the opposite direction in his bid not hit an Okadarman whom he was trying to out-smart rammed into  a jeep. And that was how the jam that may have lasted for hours began to build up.

Of a truth the bridge beckons for replacement if not done now  like the woman said we may experience another carnage soon.

Macbeth saw three witches who worked on his vaulting ambition to become king but at the Egbe bridge there are  no witches but only the ones we create from  our mismanagement and lack of maintenance style.