By Emmanuel Itomin
The Oban-Ekang road, a crucial lifeline for the Akamkpa Local Government Area in Cross River State, has deteriorated into a state of utter disrepair, unleashing a catastrophic trifecta of woes upon commuters, motorists, and farmers. The road’s calamitous condition has spawned a myriad of debilitating issues, including interminable travel times, vehicular damage, and economic hardship for local residents.
The project’s trajectory has been marred by a crippling dearth of funding, with the contractor, Setraco Nigeria Limited, receiving a mere N4 billion out of the approved N27.7 billion, thereby stifling progress and precipitating a state of stagnation. Consequently, the rehabilitation project, launched in 2019 with great fanfare, has ground to a complete halt due to lack of funds, leaving the road in a state of disrepair that surpasses its pre-rehabilitation condition.
Moreover, the road’s deplorable state has had a devastating impact on economic activities, rendering it nigh impossible for farmers to transport their produce to market, thereby precipitating losses and potential food shortages. In response to this crisis, the Senate has passed a resolution urging the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to conduct a thorough review of the contract and provide adequate funding to complete the project.
To extricate the project from this quagmire, the Federal Government must release the approved funds to enable the contractor to complete the project, thereby revitalizing the road and the local economy. Again, a comprehensive review of the contract is imperative to identify the causes of the delay and ensure the project’s completion, thereby precluding future setbacks. In the interim, temporary repairs could be carried out to alleviate the suffering of commuters and motorists while awaiting the project’s completion, thereby providing some measure of respite.
