Yuletide: FG assures palliative measures on damaged Calabar – Itu road

The Federal Government has assured that it would put in place palliative measures to ensure that the badly damaged Calabar-Itu road is motorable during the forthcoming yuletide.

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang dropped the hint at the weekend after an inspection of the Calabar-Itu road.

Enang said the palliative measures became necessary due to hardship travelers encounter on a daily basis especially with the upcoming Christmas season and new year season.

He disclosed that several intervention agencies of the Federal Government have agreed to collaborate to make the highway passable and comfortable.

“We have brought in, the office of the SSA to the President on NDDC, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Federal Road Maintenance Agencies (FERMA), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), for them to work together to ensure that this road (Calaber-Itu road) is motorable and reduce hardship on the people”.

“The essence of our responsibility to people is not to give excuses but take every step to get solutions to the problem of people and get life going,” he added.

Enang stated that contract sum of 54 billion naira was awarded to Julius Berger, which covers about 22 kilometers of the road, beginning from Mbak Obio Itam to Odukpani, adding that 7 billion naira has been paid and that another round of sum would be paid to enable them return to the site.

He hinted that there are some areas on the Calabar- Itu highway that are not awarded, adding that other area not awarded but designed and procured covers from Mbak Obio Itam to Ikot Ekpene.

The area awarded is about 8 to 9 kilometers to the Cross River end and 12 or so kilometers in Akwa Ibom end”.

“The area from the power station in Odukpani where the Julius Berger Job stops in the Cross River end up to the Cabalar Itu Bridge and 1.2meter has not been designed or awarded so there is no commitment at that end”.

“Then the not awarded, designed and procured area is the one from Mbak Obio Itam where the job of Julius Berger stops to Ikot Ekpene,” he said.

The Project Manager, Julius Berger Construction Company, Christian Kloeptle, assured that as soon as the rain seizes, palliative work would commence to aid free movement during Christmas.

“We will do something before Christmas, anytime the rain stops we will make the road motorable again”
“Our money finished and we were unable to buy asphalt and zinc needed for the road, that is why we stopped the work for a while”.
“The granite we want to use for the road does not like water, if rain falls on it, it will wash away,” he said.

The Deputy Director Highways, Federal Ministry Of Works and Housing, Mr Peter Umoren assured Akwa Ibomites and Cross Riverines that Calabar-Itu road would be passable before the year runs out.
“I am assuring Akwa Ibom people and Calabar people that this road (Calabar-Itu road) before December runs out. All highways would be motorable as contained on our programme.”