President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the N700 billion Calabar-Ikom-Katsina Ala highway in Obung community, Akamkpa Local Council of Cross River State.
The ceremony was initially billed for September 21, 2015 but due to issues raised by international organisations and the Federal Ministry of Environment on environmental concerns, it was put on hold.
The road, which will take off from the proposed Ikang deep sea port will open a window of opportunity for the people of Cross River State and Nigeria as a whole as well as reduce travel time.
While performing the ground-breaking, President Buhari said, “that I am here in person underscores the importance the Federal Government attaches to this. It is indeed a significant milestone in the economic policy of the governor.
“This is the first ground-breaking under my presidency. I commend Ayade and his team for their foresight in conceptualising this project and I want to assure you of the commitment of the Federal Government to ensure the completion of the project. I promise I will come back to commission it. I urge the governor to ensure work is done on it quickly.”
The event, which was scheduled for 10.am could not take off due to bad weather that forced the President, who was accompanied by the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State to come in by road at about 12.36pm to eventually perform the ceremony.
Earlier, Ayade commended the love the President has for the state for coming to do the ground-breaking saying, “you said you are for everyone and today you have proven this by your support for us. That is because given the circumstances of our nation and the politics, Cross River State would not have been worthy of being your first port of call. You have shown that you are truly a President.”
He said already, an Israeli and British firm, Spectrum is investing €500 million alongside an infrastructure bank under Public Private Partnership arrangement on the super highway.
He said that, “the ontological kinetics of the road started with the loss of oil wells, consequent on the loss of Bakassi. The state was reduced to want and it became imperative to reconstruct a new means of production and open a horizon to get teeming young men employed.
“The road will serve as an evacuation corridor for the new deep seaport. The seaport will have a draft of 14 metres a wall of 680 meters that will allow for all sizes of vessels to berth. The road will be the first to have broadband Internet connectivity, speed cameras, ambulatory services and photology solar system.”
Culled from The Guardian
