Relief, as FG intervenes on Calabar-Ikom highway

The much-dreaded Calabar-Ikom highway is now a super express way following recent federal Government intervention on the axis.For years, the highway remained a nightmare for motorists and commuters, as they spent over five to six hours driving to ikom from Calabar, instead of two or three hours due to bad road.
 
The emergency intervention project, which is handled by Sermatech Nigeria Limited, was initiated by the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, after his inspection of ongoing Federal Government projects under his ministry in Cross River State in February this year.
 
Fashola had during his visit referred to the intervention as a pain management solution that was meant to ease the trauma on the road during the rainy season, adding that the expansion work on the road would still be done.

The Project Manager of Sermatech, Mr. Desmond Ewa, said the emergency intervention was carried out through the aid of credit facilities from bank, saying, “the points of intervention are between Uyanga to Okomita (1.25km), Okomita to Akpet (925 metres), Akpet, Adim and Iyamoyong (1.4 km) and money was sourced from the bank.
We are appealing to the Federal Government to release our funds as soon as we are rounding up so that we can pay back our creditors,” he said.

Commuters plying the Calabar-Ikom highway yesterday commended the government for the intervention on critical spots of the road saying, “this is what democracy or governance is all about”
 
The Uyanga, Adim and Iyamoyong axis of the busy Calabar-Ikom road had been soar points for commuters, as bus driver, Mr. Andrew Inok, who plies the highway, said the intervention was timely as road users would have found it extremely difficult plying the road during the rainy season. 

He said that several tankers used to be stranded for days on the Adim axis when the road became impassable.“This intervention by the Federal Government is a welcomed development. I recall how the road was before the intervention. At some points, trucks and lorries could no longer assess the road while smaller vehicles took other longer routes to get to their destinations.”
 
Another road user, Ekpo Ita also commended the effort of the government and pleaded that remaining bad spots like the two gully erosion at the Odukpani near Calabar and Akpet axis should be looked into before it gets worse.