From Judex Okoro, Calabar
President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated a 1.2km Ikom Bridge to boost economic activities in the state.
The new bridge, which is constructed by his administration, is located on a major South-North arterial highway and is a highly classified project.
Inaugurating the project at Ikom, Ikom LGA of Cross River state, Buhari stated that the project will boost the economic prosperity of Nigerians, disclosing that the recommendation for the construction of the new bridge was done by the National Planning Commission some years ago.
Buhari stressed that the Ikom Bridge arises from the headroom inadequacy of the existing bridge and the need to cater for heavy-duty trucks along the project corridor as well as enable Calabar Seaport, airport and Free Trade Zone to be fully functional and accessible to traffic.
Bihari maintained that the Ikom bridge is among the seven projects including three federal secretariats, two bridges and road projects that gulped billions of naira.
Buhari, who spoke in virtual Zoom and was represented in the state by the federal controller of Works in Cross River State, Koya Kehinde, maintained that the project would reduce the level of poverty in the state given its connectivity with Benue state, and other states in the nation.
“It also provides short connectivity and addressed a multi-dimensional poverty instead of complaining. Most of the projects are executed with repatriated funds from overseas, Buhari stated.
He stressed that stolen and recovered funds are utilised for the good of the people.
Commending the president for the project, the Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Works, Engr Dane Osim Asu stated that the federal government has 13 Trunk A Roads in the state and has rehabilitated 9 roads leaving the remaining 4 that are still in a sorry state.
The Governor appealed to the federal government to give a listening ear and come to the aid of the state as bad roads have crippled economic activities in the state.