09/10/2023
State commences clearing gridlock at the bad Ukpe Federal Road in Ogoja Local Government Area
Austin Unwanede
The State Government has responded promptly to the gridlock occasioned by the bad federal road at Ukpe, Ekajuk in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The persistent rainfall between September and in the early October,2023,had posed a serious erosion problem on the Federal Road, dividing some sections of the road with attendant massive traffic for motorists and commuters in the past few days.
As at the time of this report, the federal road from Ogoja to Calabar could not be accessed following the the traffic jam as vehicles now take a U-turn back to Ogoja striving to travel through Boki -Ikom road from Obudu or possible routes hardly found around the areas.
Speaking to Journalists at the spot, the State Commissioner for Works,Mr Pius Ankpo, explained that Governor Bassey Otu was deeply empathetic about the plights of commuters plying the road and the people of Ogoja for the sudden failure of the road, assuring that the State Government has picked up the challenge of fixing the road in the interim before drawing the attention of the Federal Government to the situation, hoping that she would also respond positively.
The Governor said his administration is committed to revamping the socio-economic lifestyle of the Ogoja people at no cost on them and in no distant time.
He however called on them to remain law-abiding and partner his administration in their own interests in particular and that of Cross Riverians in general,in line with his Peoples'First Mantra.
Meanwhile,an indigent of Ukpe, the immediate community of the bad road, Engineer Thomas Arukwu,has expressed the hope that the bad Federal road nextwork at Ukpe, Ekajuk and other parts of Ogoja Local Government Area, would be repaired and delivered in a couple weeks adding noting that Governor Bassey Otu was only kind and compassionate to have responded to the distressed call.