The immediate past Commissioner for Finance and the Coordinator of All Progrressives Congress, (APC), Youth Lobby Group in Cross River, Mr Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr has said that efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in infrastructural development was strengthening ties across the country.
Speaking on the strides of the president on the construction of the new Ikom Bridge in Ikom, Asuquo Ekpenyong, a stalwart of the party said the bridge was one of the most important investment in the South-South.
He noted that the bridge remained a remarkable piece of investment that connects the south to the northern part of the country.
“This bridge has made the movement of tankers and other articulated vehicles coming from southern Cross River to the central and northern parts of the state easy.
“Before now, vehicles from Cross River go through the south-eastern states to access the northern parts of the nation but with this bridge that is a thing of the past, cutting travel time.
“Apart from investing in the Ikom bridge, the Federal Government at the moment is dualizing the Odukpani/Itu road and putting in billions in the construction of the second Niger Bridge.
“These infrastructures are life wires of the eastern and southern states of the nation,” he said.
He observed that if infrastructural development embarked upon by the administration was to be on basis with the votes the APC got in 2015 and 2019, there would be no way the President would have embarked on such massive project especially in States like Cross River.
According to him, for 16 years of People Democratic Party (PDP) successive administration, abandoned projects in the State reached its climax even though the party in power nationally was also in power in Cross River.
“Even though Cross River was not an APC state, the APC led Federal Government kept sentiments aside and did what was best for the Nigerian people.
“This is a testament to the leadership of President Buhari and the competence of the Minister of Works, Mr. Babatunde Fashiola and his team in the Ministry of Works.
“I think that with the level of investment that has been put down, the people of Cross River should start considering APC in the forthcoming general election,” he stated.
Ekpenyong, who is a governorship hopeful, called on residents of the state to join and suppot the APCparty, adding that If they could do all these for Cross River, which was a non APC state, there is a possibility the party means well for the State.