Calabar-Itu Highway: Senate Laments Commuters’ Plight, Demand Speedy Project Completion

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  • Mandates Committee on Works to probe funds’ utilisation
  • Akpabio, Ekpenyong, Sampson plead for priority attention
L-R: Sen Sampson, Senate President Akpabio and Sen Ekpenyong

BY EDMOND ODOK – If everything goes as planned by the Nigerian Senate, travelers will soon wave goodbye to the deplorable condition of the 94-km Calabar-Itu Highway that links Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

Disturbed that the Highway has been in a state of disrepair, poorly maintained, and a death trap to commuters, the Senate is urging the Federal Government to demonstrate commitment by speeding up the construction work and consequently bringing back smiles to the faces of those plying the route daily.

To further demonstrate its resolve in addressing the matter, the Senate has mandated its Committee on Works to investigate the reasons behind the incomplete repair works on the Highway, as well as a detailed assessment of how funds allocated over multiple budget cycles have been used.

According to the Red Chambers, it is unfortunate that as a major corridor of trade, commerce, and human movement between Akwa Ibom and Cross River, as well as a key artery opening into South South and South East geo-political zones, the Highway project has over the years not received the priority attention which it rightly deserves.

For the lawmakers, prioritising the highway project’s completion will not only alleviate the people’s suffering but also unlock the huge economic potential of the region.

The Senate’s call for expedited action on rehabilitating the dilapidated road follows a motion co-sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) and Senator Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South) at the plenary, which stressed the urgent need to address issues currently hindering the construction work.

Noting its potential to create jobs, improve market access, and support the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs), the lawmakers said the Highway will surely connect major trade zones as part of the enhanced road infrastructure in the country.

In his comments on the motion, Senator Ekpenyong said completing the Calabar-Odukpani-Itu Highway will not only serve as a major infrastructural development but also a moral and economic obligation to the people of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states as well as the Niger Delta region at large.

Similarly, Senator Ekong Sampson, who co-sponsored the motion, lamented the untold hardship that commuters face on the road, which he described as a strategic economic pathway linking communities in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and other neighbouring States.

The Akwa Ibom South Senator said the government must pay close attention to the condition of roads nationwide, noting that most highways in the country are indeed real cause for concern.

However, while praising the Senate for adjusting its Orders of the Day to accommodate people-centred advocacy, as captured in the motion, Senator Sampson tasked the Senate on pursuing “justice and the interest of Nigerians, and not manacled by rules or procedure’.

Other lawmakers, including Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa East) and Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), also backed the motion and demanded expedited action on the highway project.

On his part, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who acknowledged his colleagues’ contributions to the motion, noted that despite its economic and commercial viability, the highway has unfortunately become impassable and a nightmare to commuters.

He appealed to the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, to ensure immediate action on the road to bring back smiles to the faces of Nigerians who daily ply the highway.

Consequently, the Upper Legislative Chamber also directed its Works Committee to summon relevant agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), and contractors involved in the project, to provide detailed reports on the status of the highway and challenges being encountered.

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