Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, on Monday, led a ground-breaking ceremony for the commencement of work on the Adiabo-Ikoneto road in the Odukpani Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking at the opening event at the Adiabo community, Otu expressed gladness for the commencement of work on the road which has been abandoned for more than 30 years.
“This road has been a vision and dream. It gave me a lot of pain when work on this project stopped a few decades ago and 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 while 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. He recalled that the road should have been fixed since the regime of Late Sani Abacha GCFR as the Head of State of the defunct Military Government of Nigeria.
“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.”
While noting that the administration is working tirelessly to ensure that 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.
The Governor expressed his belief that the project contractor, Zenith Construction Company Limited, who 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 hiatus.
He 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 the other hand, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Pius Ankpo, said the about 11-kilometre project will 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-month period.
The flagging off ceremony was graced by the Obong of Calabar His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V.
