The All Progrressive Congress (APC), Youth Lobby Group in Cross River has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for strengthening ties in Nigeria through road construction.
Speaking on the strides of the president on the construction of the new Ikom Bridge on Wednesday in Ikom, Asuquo Ekpenyong, a stalwart of the party said the bridge was one of the most important investments in the South-South.
Asuquo, who is a former Commissioner for Finance in Cross River said the bridge was a remarkable piece of investment that connects the south to the northern part of the country.
“This bridge has made the movement of tankers and other articulated vehicles coming from southern Cross River to the central and northern parts of the state easy.
Before now, vehicles from Cross River go through the south-eastern states to access the northern parts of the nation but with this bridge that is a thing of the past, cutting travel time.
“Apart from investing in the Ikom bridge, the Federal Government at the moment is dualizing the Odukpani/Itu road and putting in billions in the construction of the second Niger Bridge.
“These infrastructures are life wires of the eastern and southern states of the nation,” he said.
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He noted that people say development follows votes, adding that if that theory was true, there shouldn’t be this level of infrastructural investment going on in Cross River.
He asserted that for 16 years successive administrations abandoned projects in the state even though the party in power nationally was also in power in Cross River.
“Even though Cross River was not an APC state, the APC led Fed Government kept sentiments aside and did what was best for the Nigerian people.
“This is a testament to the leadership of Pres. Buhari and the competence of the Minister of Works Mr. Babatunde Fashiola and his team in the Ministry of Works.
“I think that with the level of investment that has been put down, the people of Cross River should start considering APC in the forthcoming General Election,” he stated.
He called on residents of the state to join and support the party, adding that If they could do all these for Cross River, which was a non APC state, imagine how much more they would do when they truly joined the party.
