Akwa Ibom State Governor Mr Udom Emmanuel, has appealed to Federal Government to grant concessionary right to foreign investors for participation in the rehabilitation of some roads in the country.

Gov Emmanuel Udom

The call, according to the Governor, became necessary due to the severity of dilapidation witnessed on road infrastructure across the country, especially in the South South and South East States.

Governor Emmanuel made the call while exchanging views with members of the Senate Committee on Works who called on him at the Government House, Uyo.

The Governor observed that in view of the present global economic recession, Nigeria is confronted with the urgent need to partner the private sector and developed world in roads Construction with the understanding that they get returns on their investment over a period of time.

He described the measure as a dynamic economic approach where countries partner investors to address issues on mutual benefit where the former lack the resources to tackle the problems.

Governor Emmanuel decried the poor state of roads which he said has become a death trap and and cited the road from Abia through Akwa Ibom to Cross River State which he said is in a deplorable condition.

He particularly drew attention of the Committee to the threat of Gully Erosion on several infrastructure and mentioned Calabar-Itu high way, School of Nursing Annua, University of Uyo, Communities in Oron, Obot Akara, Itu, Ini, Uruan and other places where the menace requires urgent attention.

He said his administration has taken bold steps to rehabilitate some of the routes ravaged by erosion to ensure that areas affected are made habitable for the people and therefore appeal
for the refund of expenses incurred in the rehabilitation of roads and Federal Institutions in the state.

He explained that such refunds would facilitate intervention in other areas for the benefit of the citizens and presented a Pictoral Album and Video Clips of erosion sites in the state to the Committee.

Earlier, the Chairman Senate Committee on Works, Senator Barnabas Gemade, said that they were in the state to access the extent of environmental degradation being part of their oversight function as a sensitive and responsive Legislature.