As part of the deliberate and concerted efforts of the Governor of Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade to ease the suffering which Cross Riverians and other Nigerians plying the Calabar-Ikom and Calabar-Itu Federal highway are daily facing due to the deteriorating state of the roads, the Cross River government has commenced intervention/palliative work on critical portion on the highway.
On the spot assessment carried out today, indicates that work is currently on going at the deplorable portions at the PAMOL and Odukpani junction sections of the road as Faith Plant Construction Company was seeing working assiduously to ease the traffic which has built up as a result of the bad portions of the road.
Speaking, the Director, Civil, Ministry of Works, Engr. Godwin Akeke, said that the intervention measure is a directive from the Governor of the state, Senator Ben Ayade who is pained that Cross Riverians and other Nigerians using Calabar-Ikom and Calabar-Itu highway spend and waste many man hours and that some even sleep overnight as a result of the deteriorating state of the federal highways passing through Cross River.
Engr. Akeke explained that the state government has through the Ministry of Works, identified those deplorable portions along the two highways and is moving from one point to another, listing the bad portions to include the PAMOL and Odukpani axis, the Iworo and Adim axis among others along the Calabar-Ikom highway and all the spots that have been identified to be in a deplorable along the Calabar-Itu highway up to the Itu head bridge across the River Cross.
The Cross River Director of Civil, stated that the present administration of Governor Ayade has on several occasions intervened on these Federal roads to ameliorate the sufferings of of motorists and other road users, stressing that past administration in the state had equally intervened and that currently the federal government was owing the state over N20 Billion as a result of the several interventions.
Engr. Akeke further explained that last year, the administration of Governor Ben Ayade embarked on massive intervention work on some of the critical and deplorable spots of the federal highways in the state with particular reference to Odukpani Junction, Calabar-Akpabuyo-Bakassi road, Calabar-Itu and Calabar-Ikom highway.
“The directive to intervene on the federal highways passing through the state is part of the Senator Ayade’s policy of zero tolerance for potholes. We are intervening not because we have but because we care much as the governor has always maintained”, Akeke added.
He therefore appealed to the Federal Government to reimburse the state for the monies spent so far, bearing in mind the financial state of Cross River, while also called on the Federal Government to immediately do something about the state of federal roads in the state.
Also speaking some of the motorists applauded the intervention efforts of the Governor of Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade, and described his consistent intervention on roads that are not the responsibility of the state as unique and masses-oriented, while calling on the Federal Government to give attention to its roads passing through Cross River.
One of the motorists, Bassey Akpan Kufre thanked Governor Ayade for his love for the people through his constant intervention to repair bad spots along these highways, and called on the federal government to urgently do something about the state of these roads to reduce the suffering which motorists and other roads users face daily specially this raining season.
Another motorist, Micah Anam-Ita Awubi, a staff of the University of Calabar commended the every now and then intervention of the administration of Senator Ben Ayade on the Federal roads in the state, recalling that last year when the administration of Ayade was just few months in office, it carried out massive intervention in Calabar-Itu, Calabar-Ikom, Odukpani Junction and Calabar-Akpabuyo-Bakassi federal highways, adding he appealed to the federal government to urgently do something concerning the state of the roads.
On his part, Eliom Lawrence, a passenger said that the effort of Governor Ayade aimed at easing the suffering which motorists and passengers are passing through as result of the deplorable state of federal Roads in the state is a clear indication that Ayade has the interest of the common man at heart, and commended him for the while calling on the Federal Government to do what is needful as regards fixing the roads.
BY: Solomon Asha/Emmanuel Ulayi/Beatrice Akpala
