The people of the Okpoma community in Yala local government area of Cross River State on Sunday praised the state governor, Bassey Otu, for completing 4 km of rural road projects abandoned by previous administrations.
The people who came out en masse, including chiefs and community elders, were in company with the head of the political stakeholders of the Yala people, High Chief Higgins Peters. He praised Governor Otu, and many shed tears of joy as Governor Otu’s political ally, High Chief Higgins Peters, flagged off the completion of the abandoned portion of the Okuku-Mfom road before the community people.
The road, which stretches twenty-four kilometres, was abandoned by the Senator Ben Ayade administration in 2023 and has been a death trap, taking away many lives.
In his remarks, deputy speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly Hon Sylvester Agabi, who represented the speaker, Mr Elbert Ayambam, stated that the road, which was meant to serve as a vital artery between the neighbouring states of Ebonyi, Abia, and Cross River states for the evacuation of food produce and easy movement of people, turned into a death trap as a result of previous administrations’ abandonment.
“This road was constructed over fifty years ago and has been in a terrible state. When Senator Ben Ayade undertook to construct it in 2019, and somehow this portion was not completed, eventually it turned out to be a death trap.”
The speaker lauded Gov. Bassey Otu’s administration for keeping his campaign promise of reconstructing the road and completing it at the appropriate time.
He stressed that the economic status of the communities living along the axis that the road passes through would be significantly boosted upon completion in a few months.
“Our leader, High Chief Higgins Peters, has just revealed to us that another set of construction equipment has arrived to begin construction from the Mfom point, that is to say, construction will go on simultaneously.
“The completion will go from both axes, which will speed up the completion of work. We cannot thank Governor Otu and High Chief Higgins Peters enough for this bold initiative.”
The traditional ruler of the community, Ogamode Eje Ipuole, who spoke on behalf of the traditional rulers and communities, advised the people to cooperate with the workers and avoid any form of confrontation or conflict so that work would go on smoothly.
A youth of the area, Engineer Cosmos Ekwo, averred that the road’s fifty-year life span had been over-reconstructed twice, lauding the governor and Chief Huggins for their effort in working for the good of the people.
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