Calabar Residents Relocate Pro Ayade Signage To Draw Attention On Bad Roads

By Ushang Ewa

A new trend emerging in Calabar, the Cross River State capital is the relocation of signages bearing pro Ben Ayade messages to roads with bad spots within the metropolis.

Ben Ayade is the Governor of Cross River State and signages bearing the message, “Ayade Is Working” have been visible within Calabar since January 2018.

And, residents around Yellow Duke, Musaha, Atamunu and Mount Zion axis of the metropolis now have a new use for the signages which were been placed conspicuously at sites where the state government was renovating roads.

“I remember a time someone suggested in a beer parlor that he does not want any other thing than the ‘Ayade Is Working’ signpost been kept in his street at Howell and the road will be digitally transformed,” a resident of Atamunu (names withheld) told CrossRiverWatch.

He continued: “Some of us began contemplating the idea of ensuring that ‘Ayade Is Working’ gets closer to us and I can’t say whether this informed what you see at Yellow Duke by the big gutter, but, it is a welcomed idea for the world to see.”

He was referring to the two gigantic holes that have emerged at the culvert located at Yellow Duke street which has reduced the road to just one lane enough for one car to pass at the time only.

Following the stoppage of rehabilitation works on one side of Atamunu street, hopes were raised that the holes which a resident described as “A huge accident in waiting for one big man” will be fixed in April.

But, three weeks on, that has not been the case and the residents have been playing hide and seek with the contractors.

“I heard some boys stole one of the signage and mounted it just in between the holes since last month but government people took it away,” said Adiakpan who said she resides along Atamunu but hawks round the metropolis.

She further added that the boys in the neighborhood have been speaking in hush tones about it and each time the signage is stolen, government people retrieve it the next day.

But, there are talks in the neighborhood that those “close to government house Calabar are masterminds of the hide and seek game,” she said.

However, as at press time the signage has been moved by those allegedly loyal to the government.

A marker had been used to include “it’s a lie” and “not” in one of the signages to make it read: “It’s a lie Ayade Is Not Working.”