Four federal agencies have agreed to collaborate with the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs to intervene on the dilapidated Calabar – Odukpani- Itu – Ikot Ekpene – Aba road.
The intervention seeks to ameliorate the plight of motorists on the road.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang led representatives from the four agencies namely, Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Emergency and Road Management Agency (FERMA), the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) over the weekend to an inspection of the road.
During the inspection, Senator Enang said the agencies have agreed to intervene on the road to ease vehicular movement during the yuletide.
Commuters now spend eight to ten hours between Uyo to Calabar, a distant which usually took an hour before the road became terribly dilapidated.
In the last two months, people traveling from Uyo to Calabar have resorted to using ferry services at Oron to Calabar.
Contract for the dualisation of the Calabar-Itu road was awarded to Julius Berger about two years ago, but work could not commence on the road because the government could not pay the contractor an agreed take-off fee.
Enang said the intervention is to make the road motorable pending the commencement of full dualisation of the road, stressing that the intervention was in response to appeals from road users.
He said the federal government has awarded contract for the dualization of 22 kilometers of the road which stretches from Odukpani in Cross River State to Aba, Abia State.
The President’s aide noted that out of the N54 billion contract sum, N7 billion was released to the company.
The SSA thanked all the agencies that have collaborated to intervene on the road.
“The essence of this assessment is for us to join forces in terms of recourses to provide intervention on this road. FERMA will take its part, the NDDC will take its part and the federal ministry of works will take its part.”
“As I have been saying, there are three sections of this road: the one that is awarded, the one designed, under procurement but yet to be awarded and the section that nothing has happened at all.”
“There is what the federal ministry of works calls ’ember month programme’. It is aimed at keeping federal highways workable and motorable during the Christmas period. They have that provision and that’s what they will be doing here”, Enang said.
The representative of the Federal Ministry of works, Engr. Peter Umoren who is the Project Supervisor for the road told journalists that their proposal for the project has received needed attention by the ministry.
“We have all ready sent our proposal to the headquarters for the Ember Month Programme. It is receiving attention and as soon as it is approved, we shall be here”, he affirmed.
A deputy Director in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Engr Etim Eyoette, said the agency will provide intervention on the road and make it motorable.
“We have seen the deplorable condition of the road. We are taking measurement and urgently sending proposals to the head office. NDDC is not new to this road. In 2016, we intervened on some portions of the road. So, we know exactly what to do in this situation”, he said.
The zonal coordinator of FERMA, covering Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa States, Engr Backon Israel gave the assurance that necessary steps were being taken in order to tackle the situation.
However, while Julius Berger, through her Project Manager, Engr Christian Kloeptol has assured road users that her awarded portion of 12.2 kilometres would be maintained to allow for free flow of traffic.
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, SC Aghenek Aro, has assured motorists that his men will continue to maintain ideal traffic situation on the road during the festive period.
