Worried by the dilapidated state of Federal Roads in the State, the Cross River State Deputy Governor, Mr. Efiok Cobham has appealed to the House of Representatives Committee on Works currently on a working visit to the state to take a close look at Federal projects, infrastructures especially Roads in the State with a view to ensuring that contracts awarded are handled by competent contractors, executed according to specifications/Designs and delivered on schedule for the benefit of the people of the State.
Speaking in Calabar on Saturday when the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works, Hon. Ogbuefi Ozurubachi led its members and the Technical team of the Federal Ministry of Works on a courtesy call at the State Executive Council chambers, Mr. Cobham expressed displeasure at the neglect and poor state of Federal infrastructures especially Roads in the state and called for a radical approach and immediate action to redress the situation, regretting that most of the Tourism sites in the State are accessed by Federal Roads which are presently in poor state of disrepair.
The Deputy Governor listed the Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Katsina-Ala Highway, and the Cross River State Axis of the Calabar-Itu Highway which are also yearning for urgent Federal attention, urging the Committee to look into them.
He suggested to the Federal Government to partner with the Private Sector on Road Construction as is the case in developed countries so as to ensure high quality job delivery, moreso as the Government cannot do it all alone.
He noted that the state is richly endowed with large deposit of Limestone and has one of the biggest cement factory in the country, and therefore urged the Federal Government and the Road Construction Firms to avail themselves of these endowment by using cement in Road Construction instead of the present lateriting and asphalting to ensure durability of the roads.
He applauded the Committee for embarking on, an-on-the-spot inspection of Roads in the state as this would enable them see things for themselves and thanked them on behalf of the government and people of the state.
Earlier, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Ogbuefi Ozurubachi had stated that they were in the State as part of the oversight function of the Committee in continuation of their nationwide on-the-spot inspection of Federal Roads including South-South and the Cross River, adding that it is to enable them ensure that Federal projects and programmes are executed according to specifications, and that contractors deliver on time.
I love it when things like this are done. This is a very special one i must confess. Confirm