C’River, A’Ibom residents decry poor state of federal roads

Some residents of Cross River and Akwa Ibom have described the state of federal roads in the two states as deplorable and dangerous.

The residents who spoke in a survey by the newsmen also described the state of the roads as unfair and unacceptable.

Mr. Adams Anekan, a commercial bus driver, stated that the Calabar-Itu and Calabar-Ogoja roads were in a serious state of disrepair.

He said that the poor state of the roads had impacted negatively on the socio-economic development of the states.

“You cannot pass through these roads and still have your vehicle intact. You must have something to repair after embarking on the journey.

“With the current state of the economy, motor parts have become very expensive; we cannot continue this way.

“The situation is impacting negatively on our businesses. Travellers and transporters spend more in terms of cost and time,” he said.

Another motorist, Okon Otu, described the inconveniences faced by travellers along the Calabar-Itu and Calabar-Ogoja roads as ‘terrible and worrisome.’

Otu said that due to the poor state of the road, a journey from Calabar to Uyo in Akwa Ibom, which should take about one and a half hours, now took close to four hours to undertake.

He said it was annoying that the pace of work on the Calabar-Itu road project was ‘very slow.’

“We expect to see the contractors on site and busy with work. The contractors need to be more serious, especially during the dry season.

“If they don’t gain appreciable milestones during the dry period, we may be in for tougher times during the next rainy season,” he said.

Emem Duke, a resident of Calabar, attributed the increased cost of foodstuff in the city to the rise in transportation occasioned by the bad state of federal roads.

“Traders spend so much on transportation, so they factor such expenses into the cost of their products.

“Transporters will always tell us that the high cost of transportation is purely as a result of bad roads and security agents that mount roadblocks,” he said.

Also worried by the difficulty faced by road users, a Northern Cross River-based pressure group, the Who Is Who Forum, has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps towards repairing federal roads in the state.

The Convener Dormkclaimz Enamhe said it was a disservice to abandon federal roads connecting the state to other parts of the country.

He expressed worries over the federal government’s inability to repair the roads, describing it as ‘completely unfair to the people.’

“We are aware that not long ago, the Cross River Government announced the approval of funds to pay compensation to owners of property along the Calabar-Itu Highway.

“One will reason that the essence is to hasten the implementation of the project, but nothing is still happening,” he said.

In Akwa Ibom, some travellers who use the Ikot-Ekpene-Itu-Calabar Highway have described it as a ‘death trap.’

They expressed their displeasure that the road had remained in a ‘very deplorable’ state for more than seven years.

Dr. Charles Effiong, a resident of Uyo and regular user of the road, lamented the difficulty faced by motorists and passengers.

Effiong, a university lecturer, said that the state of the road had forced travellers to resort to water routes for their journeys.

“A road journey from Uyo to Calabar, which should not take more than one and a half hours, is now taking almost five hours.

“Some travellers spend the night on the road sometimes when heavy trucks break down.

“The suffering is terrible. Travellers only know when they commence the journey; they cannot predict when to reach their destinations.

Responding to the public outcry about federal roads, Mr. Onayesimi Berida, the Controller, Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom, said that the Federal Government was committed to repairing the Ikot Ekpene-Itu-Calabar Highway.

Berida further said that work was already ongoing on all federal road projects that had been awarded.

He said that the slow pace of work along the Ikot Ekpene-Itu-Calabar highway was due to non-payment of compensation by the state government.

The controller said that work would soon commence on the Akwa Ibom axis of the road, following Gov. Umo Eno’s acceptance to pay compensation.

“The governor has taken up the responsibility of paying compensation to owners of property that fall within the territory of the state.

“When this is settled, the road project will commence fully,” he said.

“Already, the Minister of Works has directed that palliative measures should be taken to maintain the road to ensure smooth travelling during the yuletide,” he said.

Speaking on the state of the Ikot Ekpene-Aba Road, the controller said that its monitoring and supervision was under the Federal Controller of Works in Abia.

Mr. Inyang Emmah, a resident of Mkpat Enin, decried the deplorable state of the Abak-Ikot Abasi federal highway, describing it as a bad omen.

He said that the road has remained in a near-impassable state for several years.

“The road is negatively affecting vehicles; drivers now visit mechanic workshops more regularly,” he said.

Emmah urged the Federal Ministry of Works to take steps towards repairing bad portions of the road during the dry season.

Also speaking on the issue, Mr. Moses Essien, the lawmaker representing Ibiono Ibom in the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, appealed to the federal government to expedite action on the construction of federal roads in the state.

Essien said that the deplorable condition of the roads had continued to keep Akwa Ibom and Cross River disconnected from other parts of the country.

He further said that passengers and motorists were facing huge challenges as a result of the poor state of the roads.

“I am really worried about the slow pace of work by the firm handling the Calabar-Itu federal highway. We expect to see serious work at the project site.

“The Federal Government should provide adequate funding so that the project can be given speedy delivery,” he said.

Analysts say that good road infrastructure is strategically important to the economic growth of any society and that governments should invest in road infrastructure for sustainable development.