By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
Contrary to allegations that the Cross River State government has been docile since Governor Liyel Imoke assumed office in 2007, the government said it has spent over N25 billion on the construction of rural roads to make life easier for the teeming population living in the rural communities.

Majority of the rural roads project which cuts across the 18 local government areas of the state have been completed waiting commissioning by Governor Imoke.

Speaking to journalists after an inspection tour of projects executed by the administration, Mr. Eko Atu, Director General of the state Rural Development Agency, RUDA, said every local government area in the state has benefited from rural road construction despite the financial challenges.

Mr. Atu who was represented by the Director of Administration, Mr. Collins Ogar and the Director of Roads, RUDA, Mr. Isaac Ishamali, explained that the agency was created by law in 2007 and  given the mandate to undertake development of rural communities with emphasis on roads and water supply.

The Director_General said the agency immediately mobilized rural participation for rural development and liaised with other agencies that were committed towards the transformation of rural communities with Governor Imoke as the chairman.

According to him, “so far we have a total distance of 506.62 kilometers of roads under construction and in different stages. Some of the roads have been completed waiting for commissioning by His Excellency (Governor Imoke)”, he said.

He said in the Southern Senatorial District, the State Government has constructed at least two rural roads except in Calabar South and Calabar Municipal Council, pointing out that the road being constructed in Ukwa, Odukpani Local Government Area will give the people assess to get to the State capital instead of passing through Abia State.

Besides, he said that every local government area in the Central and Northern Senatorial zones benefited with at least two rural roads, adding that “these roads are at various stages of completion and some 100 percent completed”.

“It is our hope that by the end of the year the first phase of the programme will be 100 percent completed and handed over to the people. At the beginning, the total cost was about N25 billion, but now we have had a number of extensions, so we expect a slight increase of the cost”, he said.