By CrossRiverWatch admin
Member representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, Hon. Jarigbe Agom has made a case for the N700billion, 260km Super Highway from Calabar to Obudu. One of governor Ayade’s signature projects.
Speaking on Tuesday during a sectoral debate session of the House with Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, Hon. Jarigbe asked the Minister to use his good office to impress it on the federal government to support the super highway project, where work has been stopped following an order from the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The Minister had earlier pointed out the dearth of Infrastructure as an impediment to the full utilization of tourism destinations in Cross River state.
According to the Minister, “It takes close to ten hours to travel from Calabar to Obudu Cattle Ranch and Obudu Cattle Ranch is one of the very prominent flag ship tourism sites in the state. If there was proper infrastructure and the road was good, more people will be going there to patronize the location.” He said.
While addressing the House on the matter, Hon. Jarigbe agom said, “I feel highly elated that the Hon. Minister sympathizes with our situation in Cross River State. But those concerns will be addressed if the super highway which our state governor is constructing is taken to completion and commissioned and all we need is federal government support.
“It is a PPP project that also requires enormous support from the federal government but the project has been beset by booby traps here and there ranging from issues with the environmental impact assessment to others that have impeded the progress of the job. We must be dispassionate about the way we approach this matter. Obudu ranch is at the moment a tourist site, it is the infrastructure you put there that will make it a tourist attraction.
“The Hon. Minister should use his good office to impress it on the federal government to support that project, the superhighway. The federal government has also not been patronizing the ranch. In the past, we were always having seminars, retreats and workshops of different MDAs there, that is not forthcoming now; use your good office to do something about that so that we will put that place into optimal use. If our government uses the place, people from outside will also be interested in coming and the idea of the super highway is also to increase the value of that ranch.”
Reacting, the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara asked the Minister to assure the House that infrastructure will be put in place in the ranch because it is a key tourist site in this country.
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