Judex Okoro, Calabar

Forty-five years after, over 40 communities in old Calabar and Ogoja province in Southern and Northern senatorial districts of Cross River have been linked up with about 160 kilometres access roads. 

The roads, estimated to cost about N60bn, cut across Eight Miles, Ikot-Ekpo, Odukpaniin southern senatorial distrit; Kanyang, Boje, Okundi, Wula, Ubong, Irruan, Okundi in central, and Ogoja, Mfom, Okpoma, Imaje, Bekwarra, Obudu and Obanliku in northern senatorial district. These benefitting communities for decades have been completely cut off from major business activities, making it inaccessible for motorists and difficult for farmers to bring out their produce.

No doubt, roads are critical infrastructures that could turn around any community in terms of development. Some experts have argued that rural roads are unique because of its capacity to pave way for other investments such as, schools, health care and security, adding that rural roads make it possible for consumers to access crops and services, thereby reducing poverty in rural areas.

And like every other state, rural roads are in poor condition, thereby making it difficult to always transport goods and even when transported at all, the costs are very high. Perhaps, it was in realisation of the benefits of rural roads to agricultural and rural development that Governor Ben Ayade on assumption of office embarked on construction of some critical roads across the state including the Tinapa -Odukpani, Boki East-West road and Nfom-Yala-Ogoja-Bekwara -Obudu.

These rural roads, which connect strategic local government secretariats of Odukpani, Boki, and Ogoja, Yal, Bekwarra, Obudu and Obanliku, were constructed by colonial masters. While the 6.7 kilometres Tinapa-Odukpani road, which is a federal road, was conceived in late 2018 as part of the vision for Greater Calabar development project and to ease traffic in and out of the capital city, the 27 kilometres East-West Boki road has reunited about 18 communities including Kanyang – Boje – Okundi, or Wula – Ubong  – Irruan- Okundi with a link bridge after several decades of separation.

Furthermore, the East-West road has opened up the expansive landmass; rich biodiversity endowments and enable farmers bring out their abundant farm produce and numerous cash crops particularly cocoa and oil palm. It has also create access to a large swathe of the remaining tropical forests in Sub-Saharan Africa and to Cross River National Park

For the Mfom-Okpoma-Imaje-Bekwarra-Obudu-Obanliku, it has re-connected the totally disconnected people from the point of mercantile, social interactions and indeed all prospect that gives people dignity.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony held at Yala in 2026, Governor Ben Ayade had said by the time the road is completed, it would have marked “the beginning of a new journey in the history of the Northern Senatorial District which for 45 years has been denied the luxury of driving on good roads occasioned by the challenges of the times and circumstances not occasioned by our people.

“Our economic life was completely gone, our large farms that fed the entire South-south and South-east was gone. Our educational institutions and all that united us have gone as a result of perpetual neglect and bad roads, but God has brought us again to take our destiny into our hands that we shall be reconnected and be united,” he stated.

Speaking during the inspection of some of the roads recently, Governor Ben Ayade said the roads would soon be opened officially for business. According to him, the earthwork on the construction of the Tinapa-Odukpani road has been completed while about twenty bridges and culverts have also been done with the MC One on-going.

The Governor said: “It’s my commitment to open the total reconstruction of the dualised highway because roads are the arteries through which the economy pulses. Cross River values development of this particular road as the only access to Calabar that linked producers, marketers, workers, visitors and others to the state capital. It is because of this that we are doing the expansion and dualising the roads despite the state of our resources.

“I think we are at the point where asphalting is commencing so the road is almost ready. You know the governor promised that the road should be ready and motorable by April. So, we are meeting that deadline.”

Also Speaking, the Chairman of Infracross Ltd, High Chief Eugene Iwuh Akeh, said

anyone that passes through this Tinapa-Odukpani road six months ago would not believe that the level of work done as at today can be achieved.

“When the Governor said we should dualise this road, there was a lot of skepticism because when you have a big project the gestation period is a little bit large.

“But you can see now that the job has come alive we have gone beyond the level of saying there will be and there will not be because what you see speaks for itself. I will say that the percentage completion is now at over 70% we are here now doing the stone base ready for Mc one on  this  and other sections.

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Also expressing gratitude about the Tinapa-Odukpani road, a motorist, Moses Bassey, said: “Before now accident and traffic are like twins name in this road particularly around this Pamol, but since the opening up of the road, I can see road from a far distance and there is no more traffic on the road.

“Our Concern is just that the road should not be abandoned, because we believe that if Completed as promised,it is going to be beneficial to all says a driver.”

“Another driver, Chris Ogar, 44, said: “Let me use this medium to openly tell my Governor  that God should give him the strength to complete this road because ,the road has been there for decades and none of his predecessor thought of idealising it.

“I no longer visit my mechanic regularly as I used to because of the earthworks on the road, imagine if it is completed, I can only Pray for him.”

Speaking on the East-West Boki road, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Mr Dominic Kidzu, said the road has connected the two regions of Boki, Kanyang – Boje – Okundi, or Wula-Ubong-Irruan down to Okundi which is the most urban part of the local government.

Kidzu admitted the before now, his people never believed it would have been possible to build a road and bridge Boki One and Boki Two because of the topography, adding that it is a mark of commitment and courage for this government to have undertaken to do this road.

“This is an answer to the silent prayer of thousands of Boki people over the years. It has been a big challenge not to be able to drive from one huge chunk of the local government (five council wards) to the other (six council wards). Movement of people and goods was near impossible, access to markets almost impossible for a people that are basically farmers, producing enormous quantities of yams, plantain, bananas, cocoa, vegetables and timber.

“It had been a harrowing experience growing up in Boki without this critical access road. It has been psychologically destabilising to have to go through two or three other local government areas to get to the other part of yours. In undertaking this road project, this government has not only demonstrated courage but has shown  deep love for the long suffering people of Boki local government area,” he stated.

Excited by the development, Mcstephen Ntiks Kembre, a native of Boje community, said: “Before now, the cost of living became very high because of no access road and bridge that links Boje to Okunde.

Okunde is a core business centre, and Boje produce Cocoa, banana, plantain etc in commercial quantity. But due to lack of road people could not convey their goods from Bogie to Okunde. Boje has seven communities, and these seven communites really had their livelihood tied to the life span of that road. But with the bridge, economic activities have returned.”

Speaking on the Mfom-Okpoma-Imaje-Bekwarra- Obudu-Obanliku road, the Paramount Ruler of Obudu, HRH Uti Joseph-Davies Agba, described the road as a twain that will bind and unite the people again and commended the government for trying to bring back life to the oldest and neglected local government in Nigeria, Ogoja.

A community leader, Justine Ogar, described the project as a novelty because it is the first major project to be embarked in the area for over decades now, adding that the road is very importance to the socio-economic life of his people.

He said: “You can see that work is far gone especially form the Obanliku axis through Obudu and heading for Bekwarra. It is unbelievable that in our life time we can drive on tarred road. We only plead with the firm handling the project to ensure its timely completion.”

But expressing concern that the some of these roads may be abandoned, the Cross River State All Peoples Congress, APC, chairman, Mr John Ochalla, said: “Ordinarily one would have been in ecstasy that at long last the Yala-Yahe-Bekwara-Obudu-Obanliku highway that has been a source of concern to  Cross Riverians and other road users will be fixed. But if the past records and performances of governor Ayade is anything to go by then am afraid, there is nothing to be excited about.

“My worry and concern is that the project is likely going to suffer the faith of the supper high way, spaghetti fly over, Cali air, Cali farms, Cali Vegas etc. I urge Ayade to disappoint his critics by completing the road project.”

Equally expressing worry at the slow pace of work on the East-West Boki road, a former lawmaker and a native of Boki, Hon Cletus Obun, said: “The conception of Gov Ayade to complete the road was greeted with jubilation by the Boki nation.

“But the sudden stop is a huge disappointment. That some Boki indigenes got involved in the stagnation of the Boje – katabang road is a tragedy and cosmic afflictions. The Boki people have the like of SSG, commissioner for Works and Aviation, two parliamentarians and a coterie of appointees are in the government. We the Boki leaders and our ancestors are waiting.”