Akwa Ibom State Government has appealed to the Federal Government for immediate intervention to save the Calabar-Itu highway at Enen Atai village in Itu Local Government Area of the state from the threat of erosion.
The state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, made the appeal on Tuesday when he visited the collapsed portion of the federal road leading to Calabar in Cross River.
The highway, constructed by the erstwhile military administration in the 70s, is at the brink of collapse due to erosion threatening the road on both sides.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that heavy trucks ply the road daily to convey quarries excavated from Akamkpa in Cross River.
Emmanuel was conducted round the collapsed portion of the road by the State Ministry of Work’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ifreke Ekpa.
The governor noted that the threat was a serious challenge to vehicular movement between Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
He stressed the need for the Federal Government to extend a hand of fellowship by entering into Public-Private Partnership modality to construct and maintain the road regularly.
Emmanuel said the Calabar-Itu highway was critical to the economic activities of the South-South region.
“This is the busiest road in this part of the region witnessing heavy commercial activities. This is a federal road, the resources of Akwa Ibom Government cannot afford the construction of the road; Federal Government has to do something urgently,” the governor added.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the landslide was 25 metres from the median of the road.
Chief Technical Officer, Federal Ministry of Works, Uyo, Mr. Christopher Ita, told the governor that he had sent a proposal on the menace to the headquarters in Abuja for action.
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