by crossriverwatch admin
The sum of 20. 325 billion naira has been spent on the construction of four hundred and seventy four kilometers of rural roads under the Rural Access and Mobility Project, RAMP, in rural communities in Cross River State.
Engineer Charles Okongoh, the Coordinator of the Rural Access and Mobility Project who stated this in Calabar said the four hundred kilometers of roads which are spread across the state directly links the corridors of one hundred and twenty two communities that are inhabited by one million six hundred rural dwellers in the state.
He said the agency which started work in 2008 is funded through a partnership between the African Development Bank, ADB, which paid 34.2 percent sum which stood at 7,016 billion naira while the state government paid the remaining 65.48 percent which has the sum of 13.308 million naira. “The ADB wanted the construction of earth roads but we said since the state witnesses’ high rainfall which can easily erode these roads, to ensure the durability and desirability of these roads we had to add asphalt and the state government bore the cost.”
Engineer Okongoh said the roads have greatly affected the economic life of the rural dwellers who are the direct beneficiaries as they are able to evacuate their agricultural produce to the markets and other selling points.
He said though the state is experiencing unprecedented rainfall owing to climate change, with the state having more months of rainy season, construction of the roads went on and the delivery date of November 2014, for the completion of all roads will be achieved.
The RAMP Coordinator said additional two hundred and fifty kilometers have been approved for construction in the second phase of the project which will be delivered in 2015.
“And following the success of the first phase of the project, so many agencies including the World Bank, European Union, French Development Agency, and the Islamic Bank have all indicated interest in partnering with us to deliver on the second phase which is targeted at delivering additional two hundred and fifty kilometers before the end of May, 2015”.
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