Highway linking C’ River, other parts of the country cut into two

The only road (highway) that linked Cross River State and other parts of the Country has been cut into two. The bad portion of the road located at Pamol Nigeria had been bad for over a year with the erosion cutting deep gradually.

The erosion according to our findings has finally eaten up the entire road and severed the road into two. The commuters who travelled from other parts of the Country including Akwa Ibom State to Cross River State have to dis-embarked, trekked across the erosion site and join another vehicle to Calabar.

The cutting of the highway into two has created a lot of problem hence the skyrocketed cost of leaving in Cross River State. Economic, political and social lives of the people of the state have been seriously affected.

The price of garry, rice, oil and other food items have all been increase by 200per cent . Besides, the increases in the cost of foodstuffs, Nigerians passing through the spoiled areas are subjected to severe suffering. Most of the commuters have their wearing apparels torn to shred and dirty due to the bad road.

Our correspondent who visited the erosion prone areas observed that thousands of commuters and several hundreds of people were seen stranded. The commercial drivers who brought passengers from other parts of the country regretted plying the road.

“Assuming I know that the road was so bad, I wouldn’t have ventured to carry these innocent passengers to Cross River state. We came in from Port Harcourt and now we cannot get to Calabar. What should I do, my family is in Calabar, where am I going to park my vehicle now?” Peter Richard Okon lamented.

When Daily Times called the Cross River State Commissioner for Works, Engr Osim Asu Dan on phone on Thursday, he said he cannot grant a telephone interview or comment on anything on phone. He asked the correspondent whether he does not know his office?.

Sadly, when this correspondent insisted visiting him in his office, he turned down the request saying he was not in the office and that he will be at the Governor’s office by 1pm for engagement.

Disappointingly, efforts to locate the commissioner by that time failed and the commissioner refused to pick his calls.

Interestingly, when correspondent contacted the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ben Ayade, Mr Christian Ita on phone on Thursday, he said that intervention work was on going and referred our correspondent to the Commissioner for work.

Edem Edem, Calabar