By Frankie Ifop, Calabar
The major streets of Calabar, Cross River State capital are competing for who has the highest number of potholes ahead of the Carnival Calabar 2019.
It’s no news that potholes have potentially taken over Calabar, Nigeria’s most greenness city from the Municipal to South as none is left without a hole.
If you travel from North to Central to Southern part of the State, you’ll attest that Cross River State has no good roads – even the Federal Highway is not motorable and this doesn’t define the state at all.
Calabar that was known for one of its best road networks despite not having flyovers and many dual carriage lanes, is now on the brink of being worst than Aba in Abia State due to the negligence from the State Government to patch the roads. You can also tell that the coal tars are old and weak and needed to be changed, but in the expense of budgeting for that, the little potholes which are now turning to death traps and deep seaports can be patched.
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Moving from Scanobo Junction to Technical (Destination) Junction, places like Nassarawa, Ikot Omin, Ikot Ene-Obong, Tinapa-Adiabo, all have their streets filled with potholes and some at some points, it only takes an experienced driver to navigate the roads.
Meanwhile, from T-junction to Mobil, places like Ikot Effanga Mkpa, Ikot Uduak, Ikot Ansa, Ikot Efa, Ikot Ishie, Ikot Eyo, Ekorinim I&II, their streets are so miserable due to potholes.
From Mobil to Asari Iso up to Marian and Parliamentary (Extension inclusive), you can’t find a street without hole in the middle of the road that is getting bigger and bigger and bigger as the day goes by. What about towns like Old Okang, Big Qua, Essien Town, Diamond (Hill inclusive), Akim Qua Town, Ediba Qua, Mekenge, Akai Efa up to Nyangasang, Atimbo, Edim Otop, Eta Agbor, and Goldie, their streets are all competing for which one will win the street with the most number of potholes in 2019.
The situation meanwhile in Calabar South is worst due to the palaeolithic nature of their roads. From across Goldie down to Henshaw Town to Egerton, Edgerley, Bedwell, Chamley, Hawkins, Edibe Edibe, Mbukpa, Ambo, Inyang, Afokang, Anantingha, Bayside – up to Jebs, Ekpo Abasi, Yellow Duke, Mayne Avenue, Ebito, Target, Atu, Uwanse, Atumunu, Mount Zion, Orok Orok, you’ll feel sorry for the city and assume there is no leader in the state.
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The Carnival Calabar 2019 is coming, we are going to know which street/road will win the street with the most number of potholes. But first, let us take a look at the current situation of roads in Calabar in the following pictures below…
