President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the 1.2km Ikom Bridge constructed by his administration to boost economic activities in Cross River State. The bridge is located on the major South-North arterial highway.
While commissioning the project in Ikom, at Ikom local government area, Buhari said the project would boost economic prosperity of Nigerians, adding that recommendation for construction of the bridge was done by the National Planning Commission some years ago.
Buhari said the Ikom Bridge arises from the headroom inadequacy of existing bridge and the need to cater for heavy duty truck along the project corridor as well as enable Calabar Seaport, airport and free trade zone to be fully functional and accessible to traffic.
He said the Ikom Bridge is among the seven projects which include three federal secretariats, two bridges and road projects that gulped billions of naira.
Buhari who spoke via zoom and represented in the state by federal controller of works, in Cross River State, Koya Kehinde, stated that the project would reduce the level of poverty in the state given its connectivity with Benue State and other states in the nation.
“It also provides a short connectivity, addressed multi-dimensional poverty instead of complaining. Most of the projects are executed with repatriated funds from overseas,” Buhari stated.
The Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, who was represented by the commissioner for works, Engr. Dane Osim Asu, said federal government has 13 trunk A roads in the state and has rehabilitated nine roads leaving four which are in a sorry state.
The governor appealed to the federal government to assist the state as bad roads had crippled its economic activities
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