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Road Dualisation: C’ River, A’ Ibom Residents Erect Shrines, Buildings … To Get FG’s Compensation
The erection of artificial shrines and unapproved buildings along the Calabar –Itu–Ikot Ekepene highway in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States constitutes an obstacle to the dualisation of the expressway.
The dualisation, our findings revealed, was undertaken by the present government. The road, which was constructed in the 70’s during the era of oil boom by the General Yakubu Gowon regime, had since become a death trap.
The Federal Government had awarded the road contract in 2018 to a firm, Julius Berger, for the complete reconstruction and dualisation of the entire span of over 50 kilometres stretch of the road.
However, rather than appreciate this move by the government, villagers living along the stretch of the road have devised a plan of getting money from the government by erecting emergency structures close to the road.
When our correspondent visited the road during the week, many villagers were seen building houses, erecting shrines and sinking boreholes by the side of the road which has already been surveyed with structures captured for demolition.
For instance, the villagers along Okurikang, Ikot Okon Akiba, Kparam, Akai Effiwat, Itu Bridge head and Itu junction and other villages in Akwa Ibom State have erected shrines and unapproved structures.
Some of the villagers, in an interview, admitted that they are rushing to build houses and shrines close to the road knowing that contract has been awarded for the construction.
One of them in the village of Kparam, who gave his name as Ekpo Ekpo, said, “We are not aware of any road construction project. We are building on our land and nobody has told us not to build close to the road”.
An elderly man on clutches in the same village, who refused to give his name, was seen supervising the building of his house. He explained that his other structure is a thatch house which could collapse at any moment. He stated that this was the reason he has engaged someone to build another one for him beside the road.
Another young man, Elvis Samuel in Ikot Okon Akiba village, openly admitted that he is building his house close to the road so that he could get paid by the contractor when it is demolished in the course of the construction work.
“We have been living here for many years and have been suffering the effect of the bad state of this road and now that government has decided to work on it, we should also be given some compensation for keeping the road alive by filling the bad spots with stones and sand for vehicles to pass,” he said.
Reacting, the village head of Okurikang, Chief Inyang Inyang said he was unaware of any rush to construct houses close to the road, adding that if there is anything of such, “those doing the work should be the ones to complain not those just passing by”.
At the Federal Ministry of Works, Calabar Office, the Federal Controller of Works, Engineer Bassey Nsentip said such “deceptive development” is not encouraged by the ministry.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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