Lawmakers from the National Assembly Joint Committee on Works have expressed serious concern over the poor condition and slow progress of work on the Calabar–Itu federal highway, calling it a national emergency that needs urgent government intervention.
The highway, one of the oldest and most important transport routes in southern Nigeria, connects Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Abia states. It serves as a key link for moving goods and agricultural produce between the South-South and South-East regions.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the Cross River section of the project on Monday, Akinola Alabi, Chairman of the House Committee on Works, said the committee was disappointed with the pace and quality of work being done. The visit, he noted, was part of their oversight duty to evaluate progress on ongoing federal projects.
Alabi was joined by Senator Usman Banye, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works; Ashley Emenike, the Joint Committee Coordinator; Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC and representative of Cross River South; and other members.
He lamented that the change in the project design from asphalt to concrete pavement had caused significant delays, blaming some contractors for lacking the technical expertise to handle such work.
“Even the sections already completed in concrete are not impressive,” Alabi said. “Not every contractor can manage concrete road construction. However, HITECH’s work so far is commendable.”
He added that the joint committee would hold a public hearing to summon all contractors, the Ministry of Works, and other relevant stakeholders to explain the reasons behind the project’s delay.
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“We need a national emergency on this road,” he emphasized. “As a parliament, we will invite every contractor, ministry official, zonal director, and even the minister himself. This highway is a lifeline for the people of Cross River and the South-South. We cannot stay silent while Nigerians suffer daily on it.”
Senator Ekpenyong also spoke during the visit, recalling that he had raised a motion in the Senate a year earlier after a pregnant woman gave birth inside a car while stuck in traffic on the same road. He assured that the federal government was committed to completing the project as soon as possible.
