Gov Otu Says Calabar-Itu Road Now Albatross To Us

Ndifereke BASSEY

Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River has described the Calabar-Itu road as an albatross to the people of the state owing to its present deplorable state.

The governor said that state of the road that connects the state with Akwa Ibom and the rest of South, had claimed several lives and led to loss of properties worth several billions of Naira.

He regretted that with the hardship experience by motorists on that highway, there seems to be no end in sight to the sufferings.

He further said that economy of the  road have been adversely affected by the deplorable road.

Otu fingered "economic saboteurs" as to the reason why the Calabar-Itu road had not received the desired attention.

According to him, "the problem of that road is bigger than the state. There is nothing I have not done to see that the road is fixed. I  accepted to pay compensation amidst the state scares resources. 

"I see that a lot of persons doesn't want that road done. We are however not going to rest until something concrete is done on that road.

"If not for the several intervention we have done on that road, it would have been completely impassable."

Meanwhile, the governor has disclosed plan by the state to take delivery of two new aircrafts in March as part of plans to boost the state airline company.

He said plan to resuscitate the state airline is to provide alternative transportation system as well as traveling experience for residents and visitors to the state.

While regretting that residents and visitors alike to the state were having trouble with flying to the atwte due to flight delay and cancelation, he noted that all this will change when Calli Air is back on the air.

"We have worked on the engines of the other aircrafts we have and also in the process of receiving additional two by March. 

"We are working to have the biggest airline in the country and ultimately solve the Calabar route challenge. We are hoping to fly beyond Nigeria when this starts," he stated.

He further noted that with the cost of fuel and state of federal roads in Cross River,  his administration is on the verge of developing the rail system.

The governor disclosed that the Obudu cargo and passenger airport was receiving a priority attention to provide an alternative to the flying public.

According to him, "this brings us to the reason why we will soon be launching the state transport master policy.

He ssisnin carrying out thisnnee policy, he tapped into the blue prints developed by his predecessors.

"God has afforded us the opportunity to buy into the experiences of our predecessors; they did not do badly, all that is needed is fresh breath by injecting modern values to some of these policies that have lost value with time.

"We will put together these policies and recreate them to serve the generation of today.