C-River Govt Flags Off Massive Urban Renewal Projects
BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – In a positive move to reverse the basic structural decay of the recent past, the Cross River State Government has commenced massive urban renewal infrastructure development across the state in line with its much-touted ‘People’s First’ agenda.
The development projects are being embarked upon through direct labour with the State Ministry of Works as the supervising agency on behalf of the government with the sole purpose of connecting the people to higher quality opportunities for improved welfare through employment, education, and affordable healthcare.
According to the Commissioner for Information, Comrade Erasmus Ekpang, the ongoing projects fit into the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration’s ‘People First’ mantra that is meant to renew Cross Riverians’s faith in democracy and good governance that would positively touch and impact their lives.
Ekpang, who urged the people to exercise patience as the state government is working out strategies for the implementation of long-lasting development projects that would ultimately improve the lives of residents, stated that the projects include deploying the new concrete pavement technology for the construction of Nyong Edem Street, along White House Street in the Calabar South Local Government Area (LGA), and Muri Eke Street at the popular Efio Ette junction in Calabar Municipality.
He listed other ongoing projects as the rehabilitation of failed culvert bridges along Chamley Street and Yellow Duke Street, both located in Calabar South LGA.
Mr Ekpang explained that the median concrete pavement rehabilitation work along the Parliamentary Extension up to the popular Technical Secondary School Roundabout at 8 Miles junction would be provided with solar panel street lights while the government is set to install solar panel traffic lights along busy junctions.
The Commissioner also pointed out that the dualization of the NNPC Tank Farm road at Esuk Utan when completed would ease traffic congestion caused by the long convoy of petroleum tankers waiting to lift petroleum products from Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
Speaking with Forefront News, residents of the areas where most of the projects are ongoing lauded the State government for providing them with dividends of democracy.
One of the Community leaders, Ntoe Ededem Aki expressed happiness that “rehabilitating the failed culvert bridges would impact more positively than the distribution of three cups of rice under the pretext of providing palliatives to the people”.
