Calabar-Itu road: Ayade commends NDDC for intervention

CROSS River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for its intervention work on the deplorable Calabar-Itu road.

Ayade, who stated this when the acting Managing Director of NDDC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Calabar, expressed delight for NDDC’s swift intervention in the road which had been impassable for so many years.

According to him, the deplorable condition of the road has over the years slowed down economic activities in the state, adding that commuters and motorists spent long hours to travel in and out of the state.

Ayade said: “The intervention by the NDDC has made it possible for whoever will be coming for Calabar carnival to pass with ease; it would have been a disaster without their support. It has made movements from that axis a lot easier because they can now access Cross River with ease. In spite of the fact that we no longer bring anything to the table in terms of revenue generation from oil, the commission still remembered us; they ought to be commended.

“The intervention has also increased the revenue of the state because quarry activities suffered a lot and our revenue also nosedived  due to the state of the road, but life has come back and there are indications that our revenue has received a huge boost.”

On her part, the acting MD of NDDC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, said the commission was committed to the development of the Niger Delta region, adding that partnership was a veritable platform to achieve that.

According to her, “we are determined to add value, we are determined to make a difference and the only way to develop the Niger Delta region is by partnering  the people and we are passionate about that.’’