When on the 31st of March, 2009, Senator Liyel Imoke, the Cross River State Governor laid the first block  to kick start the construction of a housing estate  in  the barren forest of Atimbo, in  Akpabuyo  Local Government Area, some five kilometres East of   Calabar, the Cross River State capital, his action was greeted with a lot of  scepticism and criticism  as many  wondered  how he would transform a dense  tropical  forest to  residential homes.

The legion of sceptics who saw the project and its hype as a political gimmick  by the governor  to pull wool over  their eyes to get them to re-elect him  for second term,  pointed to ready examples of failed housing schemes littered all over the state by preceding administrations.

Worst was the immediate past administration, which according to sources, did not erect one single structure  in the name of housing in the state for eight good years  but “sold  off all houses  we had left of our heritage as a people at give away rates.”

Indeed, the last administration that build estates in the state was that led by late Brigadier U.J.Esuene several decades ago.

Conscious of the past failings in mass housing scheme  in the state, Governor Imoke announced at the flag off of the construction work that the state has a 5% growth rate which is quite considerable and excepts measures are taken to develop estates like the one he was initiating , there would be no houses for the people to live in the not too distant future.

“For the first time in  a long while, there have been no  government housing projects in this state. We appreciate the need for the people to have decent, affordable and secured accommodation which underscores the need to have a scheme like this one which is a private –public partnership initiative”.

Located in an expansive virgin forest stretching through 51.5 hectres in  four villages of  Akpabuyo, Atimbo East , Ikot Asuquo Oku and Ikot Ewa, Senator  Imoke  said then  that when completed, pressure  would be significantly lessened on  accommodation needs in Calabar.

“There has been a continued rise in the cost of accommodation in our city in spite  of the   global economic down turn and low income of our people; something urgent has to be done to address this and this project would succeed despite the scepticism ” .

He declared that  it was in keeping to his campaign promise to ensure that civil servants and residents of the city are made to own places of abode that compelled him go through the stress and rigours in acquiring the expansive  land for the housing scheme.

“The first challenge is that Cross River State withdrew  from the National Housing Loan Scheme in 2002 which ought to have provided the platform for our people to build their own homes; this scheme is meant to get  workers in the state the opportunity  to take advantage of the low interest rates that this scheme provides  to own houses at  a low cost”.

It was in this direction that the state government went ahead to pay compensation to the landlord communities, provided amenities and infrastructure like roads, electricity and water at a cost of over 1.7 billion naira and kept its commitment of  bargain in the partnership by providing  Aso Savings and Loans all the encouragement and assistance it needed to  complete the construction of the first phase of  200 housing units which  comprises  of 64 three bedrooms bungalows,  98 two -bedrooms semi-detached bungalows  and  12 units of one bedroom terraces which were commissioned on the 10th of  December, 2012  by Ms Ama Pepple, the Minister for Housing.

With its commissioning in December, life immediately started picking up  in then hitherto dense forest now turned serene housing estate. Over a hundred houses have since been fully occupied with another seventy partially occupied while their owners are carrying out some fine tuning of their apartments to meet their individual needs and tastes.

Mr Eyong Otu, the Secretary of the Crospil landlord Association who is full of praises for the Governor for  demonstrating his commitment to the welfare of the  people by completing the construction of the housing estate said: “Calabar is landlocked which makes it practically impossible to have expansive land to site a major estate as this one.

“The environment here is serene and secure which gives one the opportunity to relax.We are really proud of this place”.

A house wife, Mrs Zion Iyeli said outside the occasional power failure “which is everywhere including Calabar, we are enjoying life here. We feel secure because apart from the fact that there is a police post here, the policemen do patrol the estate all night”.

The estate which is kept neat by Rashino company limited, environmental cleaners is airy, well drained, and fitted with a football field, a health centre, and a police post to meet the needs of the people.

“We have constant water supply here, there are provision shops and a health post so we do not have to walk long distances to buy anything”. Mrs Iyeli said.

The family of Mr Greg Okem, a director in the Internal Revenue Service who occupies House 11B, Block 21 said:”life in the place is far different from the hustle and bustle in the town. We have enough space here to play football and even hockey which was not the case when we were in Ekotenim where we  lived before moving here”.

Celestine Okem, son of the director said:

“We  also have a bore hole from which we get water, though water supply by water Board is fairly constant here-this place is good”.

Down the road, where Barrister Emmanuel Ekaya  from Obubra lives, his cousin, Ebri said they moved into their House 13, Block 3 apartment in February and since then “life has taken a new meaning as one does not have any worries over  flooding or any mishap since the houses are well built with proper drains”.

A 7- year-old pupil of University of Calabar International School, Gift Imoh said she moved in with the dad, Dr Imoh since January and during the Easter break, “it was fun here as we moved to the recreational ground to relax and have fun; apart from the frequent cut in electricity supply, we love it here”.

Basically, with Calabar landlocked and accommodation cost increasing by the day, the new estate, which is one of several being built across the three senatorial districts, is expected to significantly reduce the strain on housing and accommodation  in Calabar.