Onwubuke Melvin
The Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu on Thursday commissioned a 20-kilometre road constructed by Lafarge Africa Plc.
In the statement, the cement manufacturing company started the road construction in 2010 as an evacuation corridor that spans from Mfamosing, its operational base through Abiati, Etamkpini, and terminates at Odukpani junction by the Ayade’s Flyover, according to The Punch.
He was optimistic that the evacuation route, covering 20 km, would make it easier for Lafarge trucks and others to travel from the city.
Otu praised Lafarge for its commitment to corporate social responsibility during the commissioning.
He said, “Development comes with implications. When you have a road, the good people will use it and the bad people will also try to use it.
“I want to give you every assurance that the security agencies we have here are up and doing, I am not sure you will have issues on this road, particularly now that the security of the area has been highlighted.”
Otu assured that security presence would be deployed to forestall any possible criminal activities.
“I will give everybody assurance both the customers and the trucks that would ply the road that everybody would be safe.
“For Cross River government, I want to give you every assurance that we will continue to give you the enablement, strength, proper and enabling environment for you to expand and succeed.”
The Governor used the occasion to call on other corporate organizations to imitate Lafarge’s gesture in supporting society as a whole, by complementing government infrastructure development.
“It would have been difficult to have about 200 trucks passing through the town, driving out, amid stress and accident.
“What you have done has taken this whole traffic completely out of town and straight to the road where they are actually looking to take things out of the state. I commend you and wish that other Corporate bodies would emulate Lafarge,” he concluded.
In his remark, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge, Alade Akinyemi said to the governor that the project started in 2010, but was delayed due to the problems associated with the geotechnical studies and the design.
He said, “The road will improve safety, drive economic growth, and enhance productivity due to reduction of man hour as a result of no traffic and congestion.”
