Commuters travelling through the Biase and Akamkpa LGAs axis of the Ikom/Calabar federal highway, have continued to endure hellish travelling conditions on the road as huge pot holes and consistent bad spots dot the entire length of the road.
An on the spot assessment by www.calitown.com reveals that the Uyanga to Akamkpa town stretch of the road, appears worse hit, complimented by a long stretch of the highway spanning Awi, up to Odukpani junction.
“We have been experiencing untold hardship on this road. Most of us who are commercial drivers plying this road, can tell you for free that the wear and tear on our vehicles can better be imagined. I hardly use the road for one week without having to visit a mechanic and have parts replaced. Those of you in the media, should help us tell government that using this road is a painful experience”, Nsor Bassey, a commercial driver contacted on the road, told us.
We also gathered that the visible increase in the of the road by heavy duty vehicles, complimented by an absolute repair and maintenance culture on the part of government, has helped turn the highway into a death trap too.
“See, a journey from Ugep to Calabar, that should ideally take an hour and a half, now takes between two and a half hours to three hours to complete. It is so inconveniencing travelling on this road and even more painful that there is no respite in sight for the many commuters using this road on a daily basis”, David Ekpe, who also plies this road, informed us.
On the Uyanga to Okom-ita stretch of the road in Akamkpa LGA, visible remedial works have in the past weeks take place, at the instance of Asuquo Ekpenyong, senator representing CR South Senatorial District, we gathered. However, these works appear to be remedial and incapable of changing the narrative .
But Cross River State Information Commissioner, Erasmus Ekpang, maintained to www.calitown.com, when contacted that, “the CRS Executive Council made a financial vote to cater to remedial works on the road. The rains have been a hindrance but I can assure you that the road is already receiving government attention and more will be done to ameliorate the sufferings of commuters on the highway.”
The entire roads around and within Cross River State is in a very deplorable state. Ikom/Obudu has become totally impassable and an eyesore. I am sure there is no state in Nigeria with the kind of rotten road we have in cross river state. It’s a nightmare traveling in Cross River State.