By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The Evidence Group has concluded its tour of the 18 local government areas of Cross River State with free medical services for residents of Calabar South.
The medical outreach, held at Atu Field, formed part of activities marking the grand finale of the tour, which the group said was aimed at documenting government projects, assessing the impact of policies and programmes, and conveying residents’ concerns to the authorities.
The Director-General of the group, Bassey Henry Eyoma, said Calabar South was selected for the finale because it was the last of the state’s 18 local government areas visited.
Eyoma said the tour also involved the inauguration of chapter executives and engagements with residents on projects and programmes of the administrations of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu.
He disclosed that the group received complaints from residents in some communities during the exercise and communicated them to the government for possible intervention.
One of the issues raised, he said, concerned the rehabilitation of the Abocheche Roundabout in Bekwarra Local Government Area. Although the roundabout is located on a federal highway, Eyoma said the state government had commenced rehabilitation work following concerns expressed by residents.
He added that the group also met with the paramount ruler of Bekwarra and informed him that a road leading to his community had been awarded for construction.
According to Eyoma, the group would continue to engage government officials and communities to ensure that concerns identified during its tour received the attention of the relevant authorities.
He announced plans to extend the exercise to tertiary institutions, with 12 campuses across the state already identified for visits.
“We intend to go into the different campuses in Cross River State. We have marked out 12 campuses from the north to the south,” he said.
Eyoma said the proposed engagements would enable the group to interact with students, hear their concerns and identify issues that might require government intervention. He added that the visits would also provide an opportunity to inform students about the state government’s plans for bursary payments following the signing of the budget into law.
The group also urged residents to support the All Progressives Congress (APC), with Eyoma calling on Cross Riverians to vote for the party in elective positions. He attributed ongoing development initiatives in the state to the efforts of the Tinubu and Otu administrations.
Speaking at the event, the convener of the group, Edem Bassey, announced the commencement of free medical services for residents of Calabar South.
The outreach offered medical consultations, health screenings and medications, with Bassey saying the initiative was intended to improve residents’ access to healthcare.
The group said the 18-LGA tour was designed to document government projects and policies while providing a channel through which residents could communicate their concerns to the authorities.
