February 19, (THEWILL) – Oron Development Union, a socio-cultural group in Akwa Ibom State, has called on the Federal Government to release funds for the construction of the Oron-Calabar bridge to ease movement from South-South to Northern Cross River State and the Northern region of Nigeria.
The President General of Oron Development Union, Sir Esang Nsa Bassey, made the call during an interactive session with newsmen in Oron at the weekend.
Bassey observed that Oron remains a coastal town and a Nigeria window to other countries such as Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea among other African countries.
The retired Permanent Secretary in Akwa Ibom State Civil Service recalled that the Oron-Calabar bridge project was awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works to a Chinese company in 2013 but was abandoned.
He noted that the Federal Government awarded the contract to construct a 13.5km bridge from Oron to Calabar without the funding aspect of the project signed by the government to commit the contractor to site.
The socio-cultural organisation, which is the third largest ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State, therefore, urged the Federal Government to make funding arrangements and mobilise the contractor to site without further delay.
Bassey explained that the bridge will not only serve the people of Oron but the entire people of the South-South, Northern Cross River and Northern Nigeria.
“The project is not only for Oron people but for the North-East region as the people of Northern Cross River will equally benefit as well as Northern Nigeria by accessing the blue economy of Oron.
“The Federal Government should make funding arrangements immediately. The contract for the bridges was awarded in 2013 without funding. The contractor should be mobilised as soon as possible,” he said.
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