By Kelvin Obambon
Worried by the deplorable state of Calabar-Itu, Akamkpa-Biase, Ogoja-Bekwarra and other federal roads in Cross River, the state chapter chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade Emmanuel Olayi, has disclosed that the apex youth body was in talks with relevant authorities towards finding lasting solutions to the roads and ultimately ameliorate the sufferings of commuters.
Olayi made this known on Saturday while responding to questions during a press conference at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Calabar the state capital.
According to him, the Council had met with the minister of youth development during a stakeholders meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital and tabled the challenges posed by the deplorable condition of federal roads which have continued to hinder mobility to and from Cross River, with its attendant negative impact on economic activities.
“I told the minister that we are locked up as a state from the Calabar-Itu axis and then up to the northern flank of the state. I appealed that our challenges be communicated to the Honourable Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi. However, we have heard and read on pages of newspapers that the Minister of Works has visited these roads and gave assurances of completion,” he said.
Comrade Olayi stated that a coalition of youth leaders in Akwa Ibom and Cross River had proposed the next line of action should the federal government fail to fix the road when the dry season set in.
“And then very recently I have had intense engagement with critical stakeholders about the roads. These are roads that we all ply, both the young, the old, the political class, the business class, students and every other person. I was informed that the roads would receive attention in due course. I was also told that up north people have already moved to sites, not to fix the roads but to do remedial work, with assurances of swinging into action as the rain subsides.
“Our task as Council is to monitor closely, and if we don’t see appreciable work as the rain stops, our first duty would be to engage and knock on the doors of everybody whose duty it is to get these roads fixed. We will ask them why and what they say we will come back and tell all of you why they have failed. If there’s need to move to the next scene, we will move to the next scene which is confrontation,” he assured.