Motorists raise the alarm over deep gully on Calabar-Odukpani highway

Some motorists plying the Calabar-Odukpani highway have expressed worries over the deep erosion gully on the federal highway, saying it is risky driving across the portion.

The motorists expressed their feelings in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Sunday.

They said that the gully at the portion between Calabar and Odukpani junction was about cutting across the road and called for its urgent repair.

Mr Jonas Eze, a driver with Peace Mass Transit (PMT) Company, said he was afraid that if nothing urgent was done on the portion it could take lives.

“It is a very big risk driving across that portion of the road. Anything can happen there anytime if something is not urgently done.

“Government should please repair at least that portion of the road.

Also, Mr Sunday Michael said the portion should be fixed urgently to avoid loss of lives.

“What happens if the road caves in at night?  Lives will be lost if that happens; something must be done immediately,” Michael added.

Reacting, Engr Bamidele Fasoronti who is in-charge of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in Cross River, said the agency was aware of the situation.

Fasoronti said that the Federal Government had already awarded contract for the repair of Ikot-Ekpene-Itu-Odukpani-Calabar road.

He said that since contract had been awarded for the repair of the road, there was nothing the agency could do about it.

“Since such a contract has been awarded there is nothing that we can do about it as an intervention agency.

“But to avert the impending danger, what I did recently was to meet with the Commissioner for Works in the state.

“I made him to understand the need to be proactive on that location because that is the only road that enters Calabar.

I told him that if we do not do something the road will cut any moment from now.

“So, we have been able to proffer a solution. What we want to do is to activate the diversion near the affected the area, pending the repair.

“Whether we like it or not, that washout needs total repair; we cannot manage it again.

So, when the diversion is completed motorists will be using that, pending the time the washout will be repaired,” he said.

The engineer, however, said that the work for the activation of the alternative route would not commence immediately because of rain.

He appealed to the motorists to bear with the agency, assuring them that the alternative route would be provided at the end of the rainy season.

NAN recalls that residents of Calabar expressed joy when the Federal Executive Council approved the award of the contract to Julius Berger some months ago.