Work on the ongoing rehabilitation of the Calabar-Itu Road has been stalled over non-payment of compensation to property owners with less than 30 percent of the entire stretch of road spanning four local government areas of Akwa Ibom State to the neighbouring Calabar, Cross River State, already fixed.
It was gathered that the contractors withdrew their equipment following the failure of the host governments – Cross River and Akwa Ibom, to heed the federal government’s directive to jointly pay compensation to the property owners as part of their counterpart funding for the project.
Worried by the abandonment of the road, angry traditional rulers from the four councils who included the Paramount Ruler of Itu, Edidem Edet Akpan Inyang; the Paramount Ruler of Ibiono Ibom, Okuku Ime Udousoro Inyang; the Paramount Ruler of Ikono, Edidem Etim Inyang and his Ikot Ekpene counterpart, Akuku Okon Ukut, stormed Uyo, the state capital, where they called on the federal government to intervene.
Addressing journalists yesterday, on behalf of other royal fathers at the office of the state director of the Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), the Itu monarch, Edidem Akpan Inyang, said it was unlawful not to compensate property owners on a federal government project as the host state governments claimed there was no money for the project.
He expressed sadness that work on the road has stalled because of non-payment of compensation, lamenting that the delay has increased the number of accidents with his family members and chiefs as casualties.
“I have lost my nephew and some of my chiefs through accidents on that road which used to be a death trap until this intervention,” he lamented.
Besides, the four royal fathers frowned at the attitude of the former senior special assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, who facilitated the project, but took it upon himself to pick the Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) from the four LGs without recourse to them as traditional rulers.
“We commend the federal government for re-awarding the road and our son, Senator Ita Enang, for facilitating the contract, but the road is now a death trap because its present condition has caused several accidents. It seems the federal government has abandoned the road.
“So, what we are saying is that controversy over payment of compensation is stalling work on the project. We want the federal government to pay the compensation and not the state so that the road project will progress because it is of great economic importance to us as an artery and trunk ‘A’ road that generates millions of revenue to the federal government.
“It is regrettable that there was no provision for compensation on the Calabar Itu highway. Other roads in other parts of the country also attracted compensation. Our own should not be different. We also want our right to be given to us to nominate CLOs. It is unlawful for any other person to do so for us,” he stated.
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