By Musa Yaro, Calabar
ASHENEWS reports that the Federal government has reimbursed Cross River state with N18.6 billion for the trunk ‘A’ roads projects carried out by the administrations of former governors Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke, and the incumbent Prof. Ben Ayade.
The Commissioner for Works, Engr. Dane Osim-Asu, disclosed this to newsmen during the fortnight ministerial briefing held at the Ministry of Information and Orientation premises in Calabar, recently.
According to him, “There are 11 Trunk ‘A’ roads in Cross River, the previous government of Duke, Imoke and the incumbent Ben Ayade intervened in most of these roads so we had to pursue for the reimbursement.
“Previous government tried to pursue for the funds but could not get, but under the administration of Ayade and through the ministry of works, we were able to follow that and we were able to bring back to the state coffers 18.6billion,” he said.
Osim-Asu added that the present administration took into roads and industries projects, in spite of the lean finances.
“As a government, the Ministry of Works have intervened in 13 of the 18 local government areas in the state,” he further said.
On pot holes on some urban roads, the Commissioner said most of the roads were constructed when the state was created in 1967.
“We are conscious of the predicament of our roads; the decaying nature of our roads, but the unavailability of funds compared with the number of projects requiring execution, it will not be out of place to applaud the governor for he has truly done well,” he disclosed.
Osim-Asu who is the chairman of the Forum of Commissioners of Works in the country said “road project is capital intensive, so if you have to do roads, you either do the roads or you don’t do the roads; road construction is not an area you can manage.”
