Governor Bassey Otu’s administration has recorded visible progress on the long-awaited Boki East-West Road project, a strategic route designed to finally connect communities in Boki East and Boki West after decades of difficult movement, economic isolation and poor access roads. Heavy construction equipment has now moved to sections of the road, earthworks are ongoing, and fresh budgetary allocations running into billions of naira have revived public attention on what many consider one of the most important internal road projects in Cross River State.
But despite the renewed momentum and the massive ₦11.5 billion approved for the project under the Otu administration, growing concerns are beginning to emerge over the apparent absence of visible drainage infrastructure along portions of the road currently under construction.
For many residents and observers, the issue is no longer whether work is ongoing; it is whether the road is being built to survive the harsh rainforest terrain of Boki.
For decades, the absence of a direct road linking Boki East and Boki West remained one of the biggest infrastructure challenges in the area. Communities separated by forests, rivers and difficult terrain struggled with transportation, trade, healthcare access and evacuation of agricultural produce. Farmers often watched cocoa, palm produce and other cash crops perish due to poor road access.
The dream of linking the two halves of Boki did not begin today.
Before becoming a full state-backed infrastructure project, early efforts to open up the corridor reportedly began under the Boki Local Government administration around 2015 through an earth road initiative. However, it was under former Governor Ben Ayade that the project evolved into a major state government road agenda.
In 2017, the Cross River State Executive Council under Ayade approved about ₦3 billion for the Boki East-West Road and Boje Bridge project. Ayade’s administration repeatedly described the road as a strategic economic route intended to permanently unite Boki communities and improve movement across the area.
By 2020, the government announced that contractors had been mobilized for completion of the project while bridge works and stone-base preparations were reportedly ongoing.
Years later, the project remains unfinished, but the current administration has intensified funding and revived construction activities.
Official Cross River State budget documents show that:
• ₦1.5 billion was allocated to the road in the 2025 approved budget,
• ₦1.5 billion appeared again in the revised budget,
• while ₦10 billion was approved for the project in the 2026 budget.
Combined, the road has now received approximately ₦11.5 billion in approved allocations under Governor Bassey Otu.
That figure alone has now triggered intense public scrutiny.
Recent construction photographs circulating online have generated debate after many observers noticed what appears to be little or no visible drainage infrastructure along sections currently being prepared for asphalting.
The concern is not merely political. It is technical.
In road construction, especially in heavy rainfall regions like Boki, drainage systems are among the most important components of durable road infrastructure. Engineers widely agree that without proper side drains, culverts, cross-drainage channels and water discharge systems, roads become highly vulnerable to erosion, edge collapse, potholes and eventual structural failure.
This is particularly important in Boki, a rainforest environment known for intense rainfall and waterlogged laterite soils.
For many residents, this raises uncomfortable but necessary questions:
• Can a rainforest road survive long-term without visible drainage?
• Why is there little evidence of drainage systems despite ₦11.5 billion budgeted?
• Is drainage planned for later phases, or has it been overlooked entirely?
• Will the road withstand multiple rainy seasons once asphalt is laid?
To be fair, construction experts note that road projects are often executed in stages. Earthworks, grading and compaction typically happen before final drainage structures and asphalt surfacing are completed. So it remains possible that drainage systems may still be incorporated as work progresses.
Still, public skepticism remains understandable.
The Boki East-West Road is not just another rural road project. It is regarded as one of the most economically significant internal road corridors in Cross River State, expected to improve transportation, strengthen trade, reduce travel hardship and finally fulfill a decades-old dream of linking Boki East and West.
For many residents, the project carries both economic and emotional significance.
That is why many believe the government must ensure the project reflects proper engineering standards rather than merely political symbolism. At ₦11.5 billion, expectations are naturally high. Citizens want a road that will last — not another expensive project that deteriorates after a few rainy seasons.
Governor Otu’s administration deserves recognition for reviving and progressing work on the road. But as construction continues, many believe transparency, quality assurance and visible drainage infrastructure will ultimately determine whether the Boki East-West Road becomes a lasting legacy project or another costly disappointment.
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