The Nigerian Senate has called for urgent attention to be given by the Federal Government to speed up the construction of the largely dilapidated Calabar-Itu Highway, linking Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
The resolve of the Senate followed a motion, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) and co-sponsored by Senator Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South), on the pressing need to address the challenges hampering the completion of the road.
The motion highlighted the critical importance of the Calabar-Itu Highway as a major corridor of trade, commerce and human movement between Akwa Ibom and Cross River and a key artery opening into much of the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
It noted the highway’s potential to create jobs, improve market access and support micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) through enhanced road infrastructure.
Senator Ekpenyong said that completing the Calabar-Odukpani-Itu highway will not only serve as a major infrastructural development but also a moral and economic obligation to the people of the Cross River, Akwa Ibom and the Niger Delta region at large.
Co-sponsor of the motion, Senator Ekong Sampson, while adumbrating, lamented the untold hardship that commuters face on the famous Calabar-Itu Road, which he said was a strategic economic pathway linking communities in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and other neighbouring states.
Related: Calabar-Itu Highway: Lawmaker Decries Slow Pace Of Work, Urges Urgent Completion Of Work
The Akwa Ibom South Senator opined that it was indeed time for the government to pay close attention to the conditions of the country’s roads, noting that most of the highways in Nigeria were a real cause for concern.
Senator Sampson, however, commended the Senate for adjusting its Orders of the Day to accommodate people-centred advocacy. He posited that the Senate should always pursue justice and the interests of Nigerians and not be manacled by rules or procedure.
Other lawmakers, including Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa East) and Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), lent their voices to the motion and called for expedited action on the Calabar-Odukpani-Itu highway.
While summarising contributions from the legislators, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, noted that the said road, despite its economic and commercial viability, had become virtually impassable, urging the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Works, to ensure immediate action on the road.
The Senate, as part of its resolve, mandated the Committee on Works to further investigate the reasons behind the delay and non-completion of the Odukpani-Itu Federal Highway, including a detailed assessment of how funds allocated over several budget cycles have been utilised.
