Governor Bassey Otu cutting the tape to signal commencement of work on the Adiabo-Ikoneto road while others look on.
By Anietie Akpan
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River state has resuscitated the construction of the Adiabo-Ikoneto road in Odukpani Local Government Area of the state abandoned 30 years ago.
Findings by Pillar Today showed that the 11 km road which was facilitated by the then Minister of Finance, Etubom Anthony Ani was abandoned with the demise of the then Military Head of State General Sani Abacha and the subsequent desolation of his government despite the payment of almost 100 percent of the contract sum to the contractors.
However on Monday, Governor Otu did the epoch ground-breaking ceremony for the commencement of work on the road, restoring hope and joy to the hitherto disillusioned people of Adiabo, Ikoneto and others that usually spend over two hours from Calabar through the Calabar-Itu road to Ikoneto or Creek Town.
But when the road is completed, trip from Calabar to Ikoneto or Creek Town will be done within 30 minutes.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony in Adiabo community, Otu in a statement as captured by his Chief Press Secretary, Comrade Nsa Gill, expressed gladness for the commencement of work on the road saying, “this road has been a vision and dream.
He said, “it gave me a lot of pain when work on this project stopped a few decades ago and it looked like its completion would never happen. But I never knew that God was going to use me to get this project to fruition.”
The Governor thanked the people for their long-standing support throughout his political journey pointing out that the Adiabo-Ikoneto road, when completed, will bring development to the area and also to the state.
He noted that the road would yield ease of access to Creek Town Road at the Odukpani area of the state as he recalled that the road should have been fixed since the regime of Late General Abacha.
“We know what infrastructure does to every community. We are making an effort to take infrastructure to all nooks and crannies in the state. What we are doing here, we are also doing in Calabar; in the central district, and in the northern senatorial district. We are not leaving any locality out of it. We have shared the resources in a way and manner that is balanced so that our aggregate growth as a state can come off structurally”, he said.
While noting that his administration is working tirelessly to ensure government presence is evident and felt at rational quota in every part of the state, he maintained that “this government came to change the narrative and add value to life. We will create an economy that will carry everybody along, and also opportunities for everyone to benefit.”
Otu tasked inhabitants of Adiabo-Ikoneto to be law-abiding, and supportive to the project as discipline remains a critical ingredient for building a serene and robust society.
Otu expressed his belief that the project contractor, Zenith Construction Company Limited, which had been part of the abandoned project since its inception over two decades ago, having a good knowledge of the nagging issues of the project, would bring its expertise to bear and deliver the job in record time.
In his remarks, the Lead Engineer of Zenith Construction Company Limited, Engr Tony Makhlof, expressed delight at the re-commencement of the project after over 30 years of and thanked the governor and his cabinet for graciously approving the construction of the road.
The construction company pledged to deliver on the project following contractual obligations, quality assurance and utmost professionalism.
On his part, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Pius Ankpo, said the about 11-kilometre project will involve the construction of three bridges across swampy areas but it is commencing with the first phase of 4.5 kilometres, to make for effective resource management.
He promised that his Ministry would provide the professional supervision of the project to be completed at the stipulated 18-months period.
The flagging off ceremony was graced by the Obong of Calabar His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V and many others.
