Abandoned for over 20 years, Ikom-Wula-Obudu road remains travelers’ nightmare, cash cow for contractors
By Godwin Otang
The road linking Ikom through Boki to Obudu Local Government Area is a 115-kilometer route indicated as the Ikom-Wula-Road. It is one of the federal roads in Cross River State.
This part is often called Section 1 in the repair work projects by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing while the distance from Sankwala junction in Obanliku Local Government Area to the trunk ‘B’ road leading up to the Obudu Mountain Resort is referred to as section 2.
Findings by CrossRiverWatch reveal that several contracts have been awarded for the rehabilitation and emergency repairs of the road since 2003 but it remains in a very sorry state, sometimes unpassable.
A 37-year-old traveler who spoke to CrossRiverWatch on the condition of anonymity had a 9:00 am Calabar to Abuja flight and left Obudu, intending to reach Calabar, a day before his scheduled trip. But the Toyota Sienna van conveying the traveler and nine others got trapped by the mud and potholes, along the Ikom-Wula-Obudu. What should have been a four-hour journey lasted two days.
Read Also: Investigation: Contractor denies getting N60m contract Refugee Commission purportedly awarded
He missed his flight. The vehicle remained in the mud with the driver and his passengers pushing to remove it – an exercise they repeated four times before the end of the trip. They had to engage a mechanic from a nearby village at some point before they proceeded to Ikom, and later to Calabar.
372 Billion Naira Awarded For Rehabilitation, Repairs
In 2003, the federal government awarded the rehabilitation of Ikom-Wula-Obudu Road and Sankwala junction Ranch resort to Messrs Afro Construction Company Nig. Ltd, at a Contract Sum of NGN372 billion. Details of the contract as seen by CrossRiverWatch showed that the rehabilitation was expected to include reinforcements and earthworks amongst others. The completion date for the project was indicated as December 13th, 2010. However, sources disclosed to CrossRiverWatch that the contract was abandoned due to funding issues.
Read Also: Meningitis Outbreak: Jigawa residents pay the price for govt’s healthcare failure
In 2010, the Federal Government categorized the project under “Project Above 50% Completion” and budgeted N400 million for the rehabilitation of Ikom-Wula-Obudu Road section 1. Fast-forward exactly 10 years later, in 2020, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) embarked on “Major Maintenance on the same Ikom-Wula-Obudu Road. As the state of the road worsened, FERMA again in project number “GM22-295” embarked on yet another major maintenance on the Ikom-Wula-Obudu road in 2022.
Meanwhile, in 2021, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing awarded and funded the rehabilitation of Section 2 of the road in two installments, to Leophina Works Limited for the job, a company owned by the family of the former Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade.
Site assessment by CrossRiverWatch shows that section two of the road is the only motorable section as of the time of this report. Data from available documents show that a total of N372.8 billion has been awarded for the repair of the road between 2003 to 2021, excluding the FERMA road maintenance project budget.
Hard Slog for Commuters
Roads from asphalt to concrete, especially those on flood-prone areas, and I am thinking that the road too will benefit from that policy.”
Effort to reach Messrs. Afro Construction Company Nig. Ltd through the address provided on its registration portal was unsuccessful. Findings reveal that the company’s address indicated as No. 1 Lokoja Street, off Ogbomosho Street, Area-8, Garki, Abuja is currently occupied by Union Bank.
Also, the phone numbers associated with the company on public records did not go through and appear to be unauthorized by telecom operators in Nigeria, as the operator had two responses – “you are not allowed to call this number” or “The number you are trying to call does not exist”. There were no email addresses or social media presence to reach the firm.
Member Representing Obanliku, Bekwarra/Obudu Federal Constituency, Hon. Peter Akpanke, has expressed concern about the state of the road, urging Leophina Works Limited and other companies that were awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of the Ikom-Wula-Obudu Road, to return to site and work in compliance with the terms of contracts that were awarded to them.
Read Also: Bandits’attacks on health facilities in Kaduna leave residents without access to healthcare
Speaking at his Thanksgiving Ceremony in August 2023, he said “This road you see, I write letters to the Federal Ministry of Works, saying that I want to know the contractors that were awarded this road. Our former Governor’s company Leophina Works Limited, was one of those companies that were awarded contracts on this road. I have gotten documents of payments and everything. They will come and work this road, if they don’t, I will go to the media and blow the whistle for the whole world to hear.”
What Does The Law Say About Abandoning Projects?
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mba Ukweni Esq. says the legal implications have to do with the terms of agreements. “There is definitely a legal implication surrounding the contract,” the legal luminary said; explaining that: “It is to look at the terms of the agreement if there is a breach of it in terms of funding, or the fund had been provided and the person who is supposed to carry out the transaction did not do so.”
“There is just no way a contract which award has been made for execution and it is not done for about 20 years, that you will say there is no breach from either side. So, the terms of the contract or agreement will determine that.
The Co-Convener of Citizens Assembly, who doubles as the Country Director of Citizens’ Solution Network, Mr. Richard Inoyo blamed the situation on the prevalence of corruption and called for accountability, legal action, and a review of the contract execution, award, and funding.
“This development in respect of the road construction linking the central to the northern part of the state is the reality we face. There is massive corruption and carelessness in the execution of public infrastructure projects across the country.
Read Also: Girls’ Education: PAGED Initiative partners SOLACEBASE
“The people of Cross River State should hold the government accountable; either these people should be sued to court so that the courts will subpoena them to appear before the court and give us an explanation or details about their involvement in the contracts. It is a very sad development, sad for public confidence in government, and in the long run, we are all losing.
“This is time to go for the right accountability instrument by reviewing the entire contract awarding process,” Inoyo said.
This investigation is produced with support from Civic Media Lab.
Comments are closed.