Petroleum tanker and lorry drivers in Cross River have expressed worry over the worsening condition of the federal roads in the state.

Some of the drivers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Sunday that the state of Calabar-Itu, Calabar-Ogoja and Calabar-Akpabuyo-Ikang roads had become very deplorable.

They said that the roads had become almost impassable and that plying them now constituted great danger to them and other users of the road.

One of the drivers, Mallam Ibrahim Maigida, who conveyed goods from the north to the state, told NAN that the situation had discouraged some truck drivers in the north from coming to Calabar.

“The roads are so bad and it affects our operation, sometimes our trucks fall into the bad portions of the roads and one can spend two or three days on the spot.”

Another driver, Emmanuel Ekezie, said that he spent one week on Calabar-Akpabuyo-Ikang road while conveying plantain from Cameroun to Uyo in Akwa Ibom due to the poor state of the road.

“Throughout the period, I suffered greatly and this is too bad for us, drivers.”

Mr Innocent Umoh, a trader in Calabar, said that lorry drivers in Aba and Onitsha had declined to travel to Calabar because of the roads.

“These days, we suffer to transport our goods from Onitsha and Aba to this place as lorry drivers do not like coming to Calabar any longer because of bad roads.

“We pay higher to bring our goods to Calabar and as a result, we have to increase our prices to cover cost.”

When contacted, officials at the office of Federal Controller of Works in the state said that the matter was beyond them. (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov. Ayade.