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The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee set up to look into the optimal utilization of the Eastern ports has called the Federal Government to pay urgent attention to the Itu-Odukpani-Calabar Road.
Held up in a 3-hour traffic gridlock Friday, September 20, 2019 on their way to Calabar, the committee said the condition of the road had become a serious threat to the nation’s economy and the lives of the people.
Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, chairman of the committee, who spoke at Ikot Nkpara in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, expressed disappointment that the only major road leading into and out of Calabar had been allowed to deteriorate to a point where commuters sleep in traffic gridlock and are left at the mercy of hoodlums.
According to a release by his aide on media and public affairs, Nkem Anyata-Lafia, the committee chairman said: “This is totally unacceptable to all Nigerians and we cannot allow things to continue this way. We have been on this road for over three hours with full escort consisting of different paramilitary personnel. Many people here have been in this traffic gridlock for three to four days and this is neither good for our economy nor for the lives of the people.
“I am aware that this stretch of road has been in the Federal Budget since 2017. Something urgent must be done to redeem man-hours lost here and the sabotage it constitutes to our economy. This is not to talk of the criminal activities perpetrated by hoodlums who take advantage of our failure as leaders to rob and exploit the people.
“Of course, we all can see why there are serious challenges for businessmen to choose to patronise the port here. We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to redress this condition,” he said.
Other road users who fielded questions at the scene of the over 10-kilometre traffic gridlock lamented what they termed gross negligence of failing infrastructure across the area by successive administrations and called on the ministry of Works and Housing to step up activities in order to offer the people the governance dividends they voted for.
Among Reps members at the scene of the gridlock were Hon. Ibrahim Al- Mustapha Aliyu, Hon. Haruna Mshelia, Hon. Prestige Ossy, Hon. Abiante Awaji as well as Hon. Anthony Ifeanyi Ibezi. Others include Hon. Haruna Maitala, Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo and others.
The members were in Calabar as part of activities aimed at determining why the Eastern ports of Warri, Calabar, Rivers, Onne and the inland port of Onitsha are not operating optimally.
