ABUJA– The Senate has summoned contractors in charge of repairs along the Odukpani-Itu Federal Highway in Cross River State.
This was sequel to the motion raised on the floor of the Senate by the senator representing Cross River South, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong on the slow pace of work by the contractors.
The Senate Committee on Works held an investigative hearing with the officials of the Federal Ministry of Works along with the contractors in charge of the repairs – Sermatech, Julius Berger, and CCECC.
This according to then Senate is with a view towards unearthing all the challenges that have led to the delays.
The hearing was also attended by the President of the Senate, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio, and other ranking members of the National Assembly.
In his remarks, HE Godswill Akpabio urged the committee to conduct a thorough investigation into the issues as repair of the road should be treated as a National emergency.
He recounted several personal sad experiences, including the loss of a classmate who was forced to use the waterways as an alternative and unfortunately drowned.
“In my remarks, I described the heart wrenching recent case of a lady who was forced to give birth in a bus due to induced labour as a direct result of the bumps and gallops suffered over several hours on the same road.
” I made the point that the almost permanent state of disrepair defied all human logic given the annual budgetary allocations to the project”, he said
The committee also frowned at the absence of the Managing Directors of both Julius Berger and CCECC from the hearing and a motion was unanimously adopted summoning both MDs to appear at the next hearing, with a resolution stating that their failure to appear at the next hearing would immediately result in the issuance of an arrest warrant for both MDs.
Support was also given to all the views by other Cross River Senators, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe and Eteng Williams.
