Hand Over Federal Roads To States For Effective Maintenance – Duke

The CEO, Cross River State Planning Commission, Dr. Bong Duke, has advocated for the hand over if all federal roads to state governments to enhance effectiveness management and maintenance.
Duke made the call at a one-day Public Lecture organized by Good Governance Advocacy International (GGAI) held at Channel View Hotel, Calabar in Cross River State.
According to him, “for decades, we have spoken of governance in terms of infrastructure, economic indices, and fiscal policies. These are, without a doubt, critical. But today, I am here to propose a fundamental shift in our perspective. I am here to speak about a concept that must become the new central processing unit of our development agenda: People Governance Policy.
“What is People Governance Policy? It is not merely a fancy synonym for social welfare. It is a fundamental recalibration of the compass of development, where the citizen is not a passive beneficiary, but the primary stakeholder, co-creator, and ultimate metric of success.
“It is the deliberate and systematic integration of the human dimension into every policy, plan, and project from inception to evaluation. It asks not just “What are we building?” but “Who are we building for, and how does this improve the quality of their lived experience,” Duke stated.
He said Cross River State is blessed with immense potentials.
“Our lush greenery, our rich culture, our strategic location, and the resilient spirit of our people are assets that many regions envy. The Planning Commission has, for years, been the engine room for harnessing this potential.
“But we must ask ourselves: Have our plans truly been for the people, or have they simply been about the people.
“A People Governance Policy demands that we move beyond seeing our citizens as statistical data points in a demographic survey. They are the fabric of our society. The farmer in Ogoja, the teacher in Ikom, the entrepreneur in Calabar, the young graduate in Akpabuyo —they are not obstacles to development; they are its very purpose.
“For too long, policy has been designed in the hallowed halls of bureaucracy, far removed from the realities on the ground. A People Governance Policy turns this model on its head,” he said.
Before we draft a single line of a new agricultural policy, we must first sit with the farmers. We must understand their fears of post-harvest losses, their challenges with access to seedlings, and their knowledge of the land. This is not a courtesy visit; it is a critical data collection exercise.
We pilot programs on a smaller scale, gather feedback, iterate, and refine. This “test-and-learn” approach, borrowed from the tech world, ensures that when a policy is rolled out state-wide, it is already robust, relevant, and resilient.
We leverage technology to create digital platforms for continuous citizen engagement. We establish structured community liaison groups for every major sector (we call them Clusters) —health, education, infrastructure.
For the development of the new Greater Calabar Master Plan, for instance, we are not just consulting architects and engineers. We are inviting transport unions, market associations, youth groups, and persons with disabilities to sit at the table. The plan must work for those who live it every day.
“In Africa, we are proficient at measuring kilometers of roads built and number of classrooms constructed. But under a People Governance Policy, our key performance indicators (KPIs) must change.”
“The success of a road is not just in its completion, but in the reduction of commute times, the boost to local businesses along the route, and the decrease in vehicle maintenance costs for the average driver. The success of a healthcare policy is not just in the number of clinics, but in the reduction of infant mortality and the increase in life expectancy.”
We will implement citizen scorecards for public services. We will publish, in clear language, what we promised, what we have delivered, and where we have fallen short. This transparency is not a sign of weakness; it is the foundation of trust.