Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, has said that it is imperative for the Federal Government to adopt multilateral sources to fund the Calabar-Itu-Odukpani road project.
He said the push for alternative sources of funding became necessary because of the inadequate budgetary allocation for the road in federal budget.
According to him, the N1.1billion approved by the National Assembly in the 2019 budget was grossly insufficient to construct the road hence the need to seek other funding sources.
Speaking with reporters in Uyo on Friday, Enang disclosed that he has already written to the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Works and Housing and the Debt Management Office for funds from the Suku Bond.
“Suku Bond is one of avenues of funding major projects and that is the Suku Bond, a N100billion, which was used in funding the Abuja-Lokoja road and other roads in the country.
“I am also making requests to relevant authorities so that we can look for some other sources as we are raising bonds and loans for other projects so that this could be included as one those projects to be funded,” he said.
Enang, however, lashed out at Akwa Ibom and Cross River State governments for not showing enough commitment to the actualization of the project.
He particularly accused the Akwa Ibom State of playing politics with the road and using it as weapon of blackmail against the APC-led federal government.