By CrossRiverWatch Admin
Efforts by the Governor Ben Ayade-led administration in Cross River to bring more beauty to Calabar has taken a new dimension with the state government taking the burden of repairing broken fences, replacing old and leaking roofs and painting of private houses along the approach to the city center around Mile 8.
Beneficiaries of the government gesture include churches, hotels and other small business outlets and premises.
Speaking while inspecting the ongoing re-roofing, renovation/repairs and painting work at Mile-8, the Director-General, Urban Renewal, Mr. Uko Inaku, told newsmen that he was given the mandate to improve on the esthetics of the approach into the state.
“We are carrying this operation to Calabar Road, Millennium Park Roundabout, Bogobri and along the carnival routes and beyond. After we are done from Calabar Municipal, we are moving to the Local Government headquarters of the state”, he disclosed.
Beside renovating houses, the agency has also embarked on creating green areas through planting of grasses and trees along the same route with the ultimate objective of making the state capital greener.
One of the beneficiaries of the renovation works, a pastor of Christ Apostolic Church, Pastor Godswill Edet Moses commended governor Ayade for his people-oriented leadership.
He said the policy of renovating homes for the poor has given them hope about the future of the country.
He said he and other members of his church which was reroofed and repainted, have been “praying day and night for Governor Ayade to enable him to sustain the good work he has started.”
Another beneficiary, Sunday Udobong who is about 80 years old, thanked the governor for giving his house a new look with new roof, painted walls with a well kept lawn.
An elderly woman, who could not contain her joy, said: “Before now whenever there were signs that it will rain, our hearts will skip because we will have to move things from one part of the building to another part due to our leaking roof. That was before the intervention of the state government. Because we now have a new roof we are relaxed whenever it rains.”
On her part, Mrs. Mary Etong, said, “I am very happy for the work which the Governor has done on my house. It is very fine, new and beautiful. Before the work, my shop was in a very bad state as it was leaking from several points.”
She thanked Ayade for what he has done and prayed that God will continue to reward the Governor’s effort.
Another beneficiary, Mr. Archibong Cletus disclosed that initially when the work started, he did not believe what the state government was doing, but that as the work progressed he came to fully appreciate the good intention of Governor Ayade’s administration, as he has renovated the fence, painted and reroofed the building.
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