The Cross River South Consultative Forum (CRSCF) on Friday, urged the Federal Government to declare state of emergency on the Calabar-Itu Highway.

The Chairman, Mr Eyo Ekpo, said at a press conference in Calabar on Friday that the deplorable state of the road was a grave danger to travelers.

Ekpo said that the Calabar-Itu Road, being the only link road between Calabar and Akwa Ibom should be given the needed attention.

He said that the road had posed untoward hardship on road users for several years ‘without any visible efforts by the government save the situation’

“The Calabar-Itu Road which is the major gateway linking Cross River and Akwa Ibom to the rest of the country, has degenerated into a death trap.

“The road is riddled with deep potholes, eroded sections and collapsed portions that make travelling a nightmare.

“It becomes worse during rainy seasons because a long stretch of the road becomes completely impassable,” he said.

The CRSCF chairman said that travelers spent several hours on the road, and that vehicles encountered frequent breakdowns while plying the road.

“Transporters face increased operational costs and loss of revenue. Accidents, injuries, and deaths have become a common occurrence on this road,” he said.

Ekpo said that the Federal Government and the contractors handling the project should stop paying lip service to the road in the interest of the citizenry.

He said that the Federal Government should give priority attention to the construction of the road before the begining of the rainy period.

“The contractors are not working with any sense of urgency. Businesses are collapsing, farmers can’t transport their produce, essential services are being disrupted,” he said.

He said that the economic consequences and the effects of the bad state of the road on the people were severe.

“We can see the resultant rising costs of goods and services. Pregnant women, sick people, and others endure horrific experiences while using the road.

“The security risk associated with the poor state of the road has escalated. Criminals take advantage of stranded motorists to perpetrate robbery and kidnap,” he said.