Ayade pledges to continue work on highway, Bakassi deep seaport

•Yari seeks prayers over economic hardship

Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has pledged to continue with construction of Bakassi deep seaport and the 260-kilometre Calabar-Bekwarra-Katsina-Ala super highway in 2017.

Ayade, who made this promise in his New Year message, added that his government would create more job opportunities.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Chief Press Secretary, Christian Ita, Ayade said Cross River State would pursue with vigour the construction of signature project, the Bakassi Deep Seaport and the 260-kilometre Calabar-Bekwarra-Katsina-Ala highway.

According to the governor, “We will continue to make the people the focus of our programmes by ensuring the prompt and regular payment of salaries as well as ensuring the overall welfare of the citizenry.”

Ayade expressed appreciation to Cross River people for their cooperation on the policies and programmes of his government, especially the just-concluded Calabar Carnival.

He assured of a better, bigger and bolder festival in 2017.

Also, Governor Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara State urged Nigerians to pray for the country to overcome the current economic hardship.

He made the appeal in a special broadcast to mark the beginning of the New Year.

The governor said the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to find solution to the challenges posed by the economy.

He expressed the hope that the country would recover from the economic hardship through prayers.

The governor urged them to support government’s policy of diversifying the economy by investing wisely to avoid a repeat of the ongoing recession.

Yari, who promised to reposition economy, appealed to residents to be more creative to fight poverty in the state.

According to him, the final defeat of Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forest would mark the end of the security and economic challenges that the country faced last year.

He enjoined residents not to use the new for celebration, but to renew their determination for greater achievements.