AGONY OF AKPABUYO RESIDENTS

Akpabuyo residents and their neighbours are imploring authorities to come to their aid before they are cut-off from the rest of Cross River State.

Commuters daily gnash their teeth and drive in tears due to the unspeakable deplorable state of the road. Residents of the area have also accused their leaders of the seeming conspiratorial neglect and silence over the matter.

 The Atimbo/Akpabuyo road connects numerous villages in Akpabuyo LGA , to Calabar whiles also serving as host community to very important economic facilities that profit the State in revenue generation. It is just 14 Km distance from Ettagbor Road and is supposed to be 20 -25 minutes drive if the infrastructure was in place.

 On investigation a youthful resident taxi driver, who identified himself as Uwem Akpan, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State moaned despite the fact that two Local Government Chairmen use that road on a daily basis to get to their Councils; that they prefer to ride on jeeps which provides cushioning effects unlike the pains experienced by those in normal cars.

He also lamented that lack of patriotic indigenous youths in the area that can rise up by way of protest, to challenge the authorities is the main undoing of the area.

 Another driver, Etim Eyo, accused the Administration of deliberately inflicting these untold pains. He alleged that previously, the Road was receiving succour by way of maintenance from UNICEM which has a cement plant there to enable them carry on with their trade. That the Company backed out, since the government decided to increase the levy on every heavy duty vehicle from #500 to #12,800 with a promise to take up the responsibility of the statutory maintenance, arising from constant wear-and-tear of the heavy duty vehicular movement.

Claims that over two hundred vehicles move out with supplies on a daily bases were put forth to our correspondent.  As we also noticed unfortunately that immediately the drivers leave the bad spot to exhale, some security officers operating an unmarked checkpoint were concentrating on collecting monies from each bus or taxi for reasons not explained and none of the public transporters seemed to be resisting.

 Those contacted to speak on behalf of the government said it is not that the Governor cares less about the road, but that knowing the state of the current low revenue of the State; he has too many projects ongoing to take undertake more.

 Meanwhile, the prevailing situation is consequently resulting in a downward economic fortune due to loss of long man-hours daily, especially for the civil servants residing in the Housing Estate Akpabuyo. Some civil servants complain that they are finding it difficult to be punctual and regular at their duty posts as a result of the poor state of the road.

Some people have also moved out or are currently searching for accommodation out of area.

Another common feature is the breakdown of vehicles on the road and the wear and tear the bad road causes. Those who value their vehicles no longer drive out of the villages; instead they park and join the commercial drivers who also face the consequences of wreckages and subsequently having to turn every strong car into jalopies in no time. The impact of the road on cars is enormous and commuters have to stand on the road for hours because vehicles refuse to enter into the area which is responsible for the astronomical increase in transport fares and ultimately, the cost of goods transported from those areas to the city markets in the capital.

In summation, the economic and social-effects endured by the people as a result of the collapse of the Atimbo road is better imagined than experienced. And those who can avoid going there, no longer do so.

We therefore appeal to the federal government to take urgent steps to rehabilitate the road as a matter of urgent public need.

The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) should collaborate with The Federal Ministry of Works to critically bring succour to the Nigerians living in the area.

The management of the United Cement Company of Nigeria (UNICEM) ought to be commended and are urged return with its efforts of maintaining the road as in the past, as part of their social responsibility.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is expected to step in into the emergency and assist, even as we pray that the administration of Senator Liyel Imoke will prevail on the Federal Government to salvage the situation as he is known to do for other abandoned federal roads.