Residents across Cross River Central and Northern Senatorial Districts are once again expressing anger and frustration over the terrible condition of the Ikom–Obudu Road, months after the state government publicly approved emergency repairs on parts of the highway.
The latest outrage is coming barely three months after the popular “No Road, No Election” protest held in February 2026, where youths and community members from Ikom, Boki, Etung, Obanliku and Obudu openly demanded urgent intervention on the collapsing federal road.
Following the protest, hopes were raised in March after the Cross River State Executive Council announced the approval of emergency repairs on 10 kilometres of the Ikom–Obudu Road during its 1st EXCO meeting of 2026 held on March 18 at the Executive Council Chamber in Calabar.
The approval was officially captured in the EXCO resolutions signed by the Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang.
But as the rainy season intensifies towards the end of May, residents say nothing has happened on the road.
No construction equipment.
No visible repairs.
No mobilisation.
Only worsening mud, failed trucks and growing anger.
“This is already the end of May. Where is the approved 10km emergency construction?” one resident asked angrily. “Was it just another political statement to calm protesting youths?”
The road, which connects several communities across Ikom, Boki, Etung, Bekwarra, Obanliku and Obudu, has now become one of the worst road corridors in southern Nigeria according to residents and transporters.
Daily users describe the highway as a “death road” where accidents, breakdowns and endless delays have become normal.
In another emotional account released by a concerned resident titled “The Road to Nowhere: How Ikom–Obudu Has Become a Graveyard for Trucks and Hope,” the writer painted a disturbing picture of life along the abandoned route.
According to the statement, at least four heavy-duty trucks reportedly failed on the road within one week due to deep gullies, collapsed sections and muddy terrain.
Some trucks reportedly overturned completely, while others became trapped for days as drivers and villagers struggled with logs and bare hands to rescue them.
The resident described the road as a nightmare where a journey that once lasted four hours now takes almost two days during heavy rainfall.
“When the road fails, people die,” the statement read.
Residents say pregnant women often face severe complications because they cannot be rushed quickly to hospitals in Obudu or Calabar, while farmers lose tons of agricultural produce trying to move cocoa, plantain, palm oil and other products to urban markets.
Commercial drivers say the economic impact is becoming unbearable.
“This road is the backbone of business in this region,” a transporter lamented. “Once this road fails completely, the entire economy here suffers.”
Many residents also questioned why communities blessed with rich forest resources and agricultural products remain neglected despite contributing massively to the state economy.
According to some protesters, billions are allegedly generated yearly from logging activities around the rainforest corridor linked to the Ikom–Obudu Road, yet the host communities continue to suffer poor infrastructure and underdevelopment.
“The only remaining rainforest in West Africa is being destroyed daily while the people living there cannot even access good roads or healthcare,” a youth leader said during the protest.
Others questioned government priorities after the same EXCO meeting that approved the emergency road repairs also approved ₦756 million for additional furnishings at the Presidential Lodge and ₦790 million for hosting obligations connected to AFSNET 2026 at the Calabar International Convention Centre.
Critics argue that while luxury projects and official events continue to receive speedy attention, rural communities are left battling failed roads, poor healthcare, lack of clean drinking water and economic hardship.
“People are dying on this road while government keeps making announcements,” another resident said. “What we need now is action, not press releases.”
Several residents also acknowledged that the Ikom–Obudu highway is officially a federal road, but argued that the state government willingly announced emergency intervention after the February protests and should therefore be held accountable for implementing what it publicly approved.
Community leaders have now warned that if immediate repairs do not begin before peak rainfall sets in fully, transportation on the corridor could collapse entirely.
For many residents, the issue has moved beyond politics.
It is now about survival.
And across the muddy and dangerous stretch linking Central and Northern Cross River, one question continues to echo loudly:
How many more lives must be lost before somebody finally acts?
Post A Comment: