The state's Commissioner for Works, Pius Ankpo, who briefed journalists after the monthly state executive council meeting in Calabar, spoke on the approval given for intervention and construction of some key roads across the three senatorial districts.
Ankpo disclosed that the approved memo, tagged: "Aggregate Infrastructural Interest," would bring significant development across the three senatorial districts of the state.
In the northern part of the state, the works commissioner revealed that Ogoja and Yala local government areas would receive repairs to their network of roads, including the Ukelle road, Akreha bridge, and the Yache-Alifokpa road. In the central senatorial district, Yakurr and Ikom LGAs have been earmarked for massive road interventions.
The works commissioner informed that approval was also given for the construction of Adiabo-Ikoneto bridge, which was initiated during the military era in the 90s, but abandoned by successive federal governments. Ankpo noted that the bridge, when completed, would serve as a better alternative to the Calabar-Odukpani Junction-Itu federal highway, as an easier route into and out from Calabar to Akwa Ibom.
The works commissioner said: “I want to thank Governor Otu and other members of the state executive council for their support and approval to the projects, which are for the good of the people of the state."
Ankpo also assured Cross Riverians that the projects would be handled with utmost compliance to professionalism and quality assurance, and completed within the stipulated timeframe.
He equally disclosed that the state executive council granted approval for Cross River government to pay compensation for right of way, for the ongoing construction work along Ikot-Nyong to Itu bridge federal highway.
The works commissioner pointed out that payment of compensation had been one of the major issues that hindered the pace of work in the project.
According to him, those who hurried to erect various structures, in order to make claims, should not expect anything, while declaring that whatever compensation to be paid would be made to those with ancestral structures, and what would be paid would be a fraction, and the balance would be the contribution of the landlord communities and owners to the road development
The Beagle News Online
