The Cross River State Government has called on the Federal Government to relinquish ownership of federal roads to state authorities to ensure effective maintenance and accountability.
Chairman of the Cross River State Planning Commission, Dr. Bong Duke, made the call during a public lecture on People Governance Policy, where he presented a paper titled “Recalibrating the Compass of Development in Nigeria.” He lamented the deteriorating condition of federal highways and blamed poor maintenance by federal agencies.
Duke argued that state governments are better positioned to manage the roads since residents are the primary users. He emphasized that placing roads under state control would make governors directly accountable to their people, noting that it is “unrealistic to expect citizens to travel to Abuja to hold the Minister of Works responsible.”
