IPAC laments horrible state of Calabar-Odukpani-Itu road

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) of Nigeria has lamented the deplorable state of Calabar-Odukpani-Itu road describing it as not only nightmarish travelling on the road but also unbefitting of a state with enormous oil and other resources.

IPAC said it is indeed disheartening and insensitive for the Cross River State Government to leave such an economically strategic facility almost impassable despite enormous resources at the disposal of the state government.

The Council wondered why such an important road would be left in such a horrifying state since the majority of users of the road are Cross Riverians and other Nigerians delivering services that directly benefit the people of the State

The National Chairman, IPAC, Dr Leonard Nzenwa in a statement, called on the Cross River State Government to fix the road without delay as road users are suffering.

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“There is no reason why a road as this should be left in this deplorable state whilst waiting for the Federal Government to come and fix it when many States have taken the initiative of fixing strategic roads in their States after which they were reimbursed by the Federal Government”, he said

According to the statement, “the team of IPAC National Officers who were in the State to oversee and harmonize operations and leadership of its State Chapter requested the Cross River State Government to fix the road noting that the over N18 billion to be reimbursed to the State on account of road rehabilitation needs to be reviewed with the state of the road”.

“The road is the only access route from the Calabar sea to the entire South-South, South East and South West states and any government that is sensitive to the plights of its citizens should not ignore.

“It is also the road used transporting the rich granite facilities as well as food from the Akamkpa Local  Government axis and the heavy agricultural products from Ogoja to other parts of the federation.

“Even more worrying is the fact that the Akwa Ibom section of the road is fixed leaving out only the Cross River’s end. We are aware that most state governments fix federal government roads in their territories and then approach the federal government for a refund but wonder why the Cross River’s case is different.

“We urge the state government to immediately set up a machinery towards fixing the road to justify the huge allocations from Abuja as well as the massive internally generated revenue. With low activities at Calabar airport, the need to rehabilitated the road cannot be overemphasised.

“It is important to note that government exists to serve the people and so any government that is insensitive to the plights of its citizens cannot be said to properly serve the people”, the statement added.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE