The Federal Government has instructed that emergency repair works be conducted on the dilapidated 117.1km Alesu-Ugep-Katsina Ala-Ikom road.

According to a press statement issued by the Deputy Director of Information, Works, Theodore Ogazechi, the directive on the emergency repair was given by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola during the just concluded 4-day facility tour of federal road infrastructure in the South-south geopolitical zone.

The minister recalled the unwholesome state of the road in the last raining season and said that since there was no possibility of completing the road within the year, an urgent intervention was necessary to remedy the hardship and accompanying terror experienced by drivers and commuters on the road.

The road forms part of the Calabar-Ikom Road and connects Cross River, Ebonyi and Benue states and the rehabilitation of the failed asphaltic concrete work is being handled by Messrs Sermatech Nigeria Limited and CCECC Nigeria Limited.

Earlier, the minister paid a courtesy call on the governor of Cross River state and was received by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Evera Isu. Isu thanked the minister for his physical presence to have an on the spot assessment of the road infrastructure in his state, urging him to urgently review the case of Mbok junction to Abuochiche road which he said was in a very bad state.

He also prayed the minister to assist in re-reimbursing the state government for their intervention on failed federal roads in the state, noting that the state requires the money to make further interventions.