The Cross River State
Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has expressed concern over the deplorable condition of federal roads in the state, especially the Calabar-Akpabuyo, Calabar-Odukpani-Ikom as well as the stretch leading to Ogoja and Obudu, respectively.
The council, which rose from its August congress, also condemned the below-average performance of the state office of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), and called on the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to provide a permanent intervention.
While declaring support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to tackle the endemic corruption in the system, the union also called on the president to look into the recent contract for the dredging of the Calabar seaport to ensure that the contract is executed according to specification as indications are that the dredging may fail.
The state congress of the union also expressed worries on the eight months’ old strike embarked by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in the state, and its effects on the prosecution of criminals as well as other culprits which even the police has expressed concern.
It, therefore, stressed the need for the state government and JUSUN to dialogue for the resolution of the dispute in order to ensure that the state courts are reopened.
In view of the new environmental policy in the state, the congress urged government to hasten and fine-tune the implementation of the new policy to maintain the clean and green status of the state.
This, the council noted, would help check growing wrong habit of the dumping of refuse by the road side in the state capital.
Friday Nwagbara, Calabar
