Otu’s aide urges youth to protect coastal highway infrastructure

Nkereuwem Effiong

A Cross River State governor’s aide, Comrade Kelvin Enyam, has urged youths and community leaders in host communities to protect infrastructure along the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway from vandalism.

Enyam, Special Assistant to Governor Bassey Otu and convener of Community of Comrades, South-South, made the call on Monday during an inspection tour of the Akwa Ibom section of the highway in Nsit Atai Local Government Area.

He said members of the organisation were satisfied with the quality of work observed during the tour.

Enyam urged youths and community leaders in areas traversed by the highway to take ownership of the project and protect its infrastructure from vandals.

He said the highway would bring economic benefits to host communities, states along the route and the country, making its protection a shared responsibility.

The student leader commended President Bola Tinubu for investing in the project and said the student community would support his re-election in 2027 to ensure its completion.

“We are calling on all our youths to take ownership of this project.

“We are here on the ground, and we are ready to take charge of our project.

“We are ready to give Mr President a second term to come and complete this project because we cannot leave it halfway,” Enyam said.

The Federal Controller of Works in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Vincent Okoduwa, who led the students around the project site, said nine kilometres of the 41-kilometre Akwa Ibom section of the highway had been completed.

He said the completed stretch featured solar-powered streetlights designed to improve visibility and facilitate vehicular movement at night.

Okoduwa added that the Federal Government was satisfied with the quality of materials used by the contractors.

According to him, the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is being constructed with continuously reinforced concrete pavement, which is intended to offer greater durability than asphalt.

He said the project featured concrete poles measuring about nine metres in length and a 300-watt solar lighting system.

“The essence is to light up this place at night and also help vehicular movement. It also adds to the beauty of the road project.

“Basically, so far, we have completed a stretch of about nine kilometres out of the 41 kilometres,” Okoduwa said.

The controller assured residents that funding would not hinder the completion of the highway, saying the project was receiving special funding.

The Construction Manager of Hitech Construction Company, Mr Jonny Dib, said the materials used in the project met international standards.

Dib explained that all construction materials underwent quality assurance tests and that any materials that failed to meet the required standards were rejected.

He also commended the host communities for their cooperation, saying their support had ensured that construction activities proceeded without disruption.