Efforts by the Governor Ben Ayade-led administration in Cross River to
bring more beauty to Calabar has taken a new dimension with the state
government taking the burden of repairing broken fences, replacing old and
leaking roofs and painting of private houses along the approach to the
city centre around Mile 8.
Beneficiaries of the government gesture include churches, hotels and other
small business outlets and premises.
Speaking while inspecting the ongoing re-roofing, renovation/repairs and
painting work at Mile-8, the Director-General, Urban Renewal, Mr. Uko
Inaku, told newsmen that he was given the mandate to improve on the
esthetics of the approach into the state.
“We are carrying this operation to Calabar Road, Millennium Park
Roundabout, Bogobri and along the carnival routes and beyond. After we are
done from Calabar Municipal, we are moving to the Local Government
headquarters of the state”, he disclosed.
Beside renovating houses, the agency has also embarked on creating green
areas through planting of grasses and trees along the same route with the
ultimate objective of making the state capital greener.
One of the beneficiaries of the renovation works, a pastor of Christ
Apostolic Church, Pastor Godswill Edet Moses commended governor Ayade for
his people-oriented leadership.
He said the policy of renovating homes for the poor has given them hope
about the future of the country.
He said he and other members of his church which was reroofed and
repainted, have been “praying day and night for Governor Ayade to enable
him to sustain the good work he has started.”
Another beneficiary, Sunday Udobong who is about 80 years old, thanked the
governor for giving his house a new look with new roof, painted walls with
a well kept lawn.
An elderly woman, who could not contain her joy, said: “Before now
whenever there were signs that it will rain, our hearts will skip because
we will have to move things from one part of the building to another part
due to our leaking roof. That was before the intervention of the state
government. Because we now have a new roof we are relaxed whenever it
rains.”
On her part, Mrs. Mary Etong, said, “I am very happy for the work which
the Governor has done on my house. It is very fine, new and beautiful.
Before the work, my shop was in a very bad state as it was leaking from
several points.”
She thanked Ayade for what he has done and prayed that God will continue
to reward the Governor’s effort.
Another beneficiary, Mr. Archibong Cletus disclosed that initially when
the work started, he did not believe what the state government was doing,
but that as the work progressed he came to fully appreciate the good
intention of Governor Ayade’s administration, as he has renovated the
fence, painted and r-roofed the building.