The Nation Newspaper

Tag: superhighway

  • Superhighway: Communities decry destruction of properties without compensation

    Superhighway: Communities decry destruction of properties without compensation

    The three communities of Iko Esai, Owai and Ifumkpa in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River State have cried out over the alleged destruction of their forests and farmlands by the state government without any compensation for the construction of the proposed 275km superhighway.

    Addressing reporters on behalf of the communities in Iko Esai community, the Village Head, Obio Arong Owan; the Clan Head, Aita Obhort Nelson Etan; and the Secretary of the Council of Chiefs, Mr Oyama Okorie, lamented the government embarked on the project without consultinh them, thereby making life difficult for them.

    Okorie, who read an address on behalf of the communities, said:  “Shortly after the ground breaking ceremony of his excellency, the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari on the 30th day of October 2015, to commence the construction of the 275.344km, Calabar-Ikom-Kastina Ala super highway project in cross river state. Without delay the government of cross river state mobilized machines to communities and began clearing of farms, and economic trees which are the major income base of the inhabitants. The people Owai, Ifumkpa and Iko Esai were also not left out. This was done without consultation and compensations to affected community landowners. No inventory was taken by the government of the number of plants and crop destroyed. Until this moment, no plan has been made by the state government to pay compensation to affected communities and individuals.

    ”With the clearing of trees, and destruction of forest and farmlands our sources of livelihood especially regarding women and children have been destroyed, as most of our women and children now resort to begging for survival with high incidents of youth restiveness and crime due to idleness and lack of reasonable sources of income in most of the affected communities. The untold hardship occasioned by this exercise has left us with nothing but pain, increase in number of school dropouts as parents can no longer pay their children’s school fees and severe infringement on our right to living by the destruction of sources of livelihood.

    ”The commencement of the superhighway without following due process was met with stiff opposition and outcry by communities and NGOs, which resulted in the stop work order given by the ministry of environment on the project. The EIA has been written four times with no significant difference between the first and the fourth one. The federal ministry of environment out of compassion finally decided to grant conditional approval to the EIA with 23 conditions to be met within two weeks.

    ”As a community, we are not aware of any of the conditions that have been met by the government of Cross River State. Not even the condition that direct them to consult with the communities involved and pay compensation.

    ”The vice president of Nigeria in one of his official visits to Cross River State in his speech promised the federal government support to the project. This position of the vice president we know is as a result of the misinformation the vice president got from the state government.

    ”At the time of this briefing the cross river state government have mobilised machines to resume clearing on the proposed superhighway around Akpabuyo axis even when there is no formal approval of EIA from federal ministry of environment and the fulfillment of the 23 conditions.

    ”There is no community that is against development but for any development to take place, there must be an alternative measure for survival of the citizens especially when it has to do with land acquisition.

    “The government should be compelled to pay compensation to communities and individuals affected by the bulldozing already carried out.

    “The government should embark on massive regeneration of cleared lands in order to restore the ecosystem.

    ”The status of the EIA after the expiration of the 2 weeks deadline for compliance to 23 conditions should be made public.

    ”The government of Cross River State should liaise with NDDC and other relevant federal government agencies or international partners to provide support for agricultural ventures introducing less expensive agricultural processing methods like the renewable energy agricultural processing equipment.”

  • Obong of Calabar, labour leaders laud Fed Govt for superhighway

    The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, and labour leaders in Cross River, have applauded the Federal Government  and the Ministry of the Environment, for the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the 275km superhighway.

    Speaking in Calabar, they also lauded Governor Ben Ayade for his commitment to the realisation of the signature projects, despite the conspiracies to thwart the project.

    Abasi Otu and the labour leaders said the project would boost the economy.

    While supporting the vision behind the project, the Calabar monarch urged relevant stakeholders to support the initiative.

    His words:”We should not use politics to draw ourselves backward, rather, we should be positive and hold on to this superhighway project as it will improve the economy and at the same time create a vista of opportunities for the state.”

    Edidem Ekpo Okon  said: “When we hear the word super in the highway, people will start asking where the money for such a gigantic project will come from, as if millions are kept somewhere. No! One needs to initiate the vision while others support the realisation.”

    The Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Comrade John Ushie, said:”We as Labour support this project even before now, because roads are not meant for government and governor alone, but for all indigenes and non-indigenes who ply the road. We are in support and I think the governor should go ahead to make the project a reality while the citizenry support the efforts.”

    The Chairman, Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Clarkson Otu,  said: “We support the project and its importance to the economy of the state. If government has the political will and resources to embark on it, let it do it for the benefit of the users and to boost the economic fortune of the state.”

  • Kudos on C/River superhighway

    SIR: Earlier this year, environmentalists stood up to vehemently challenge Prof. Ben Ayade, the Cross River governor’s decision to construct a Superhighway. It did not matter that the idea seemed beautiful on the surface – a 260 kilometre-long highway with anti-slip features, speed cameras and to crown it, high-speed internet connectivity while connecting other distant parts of the country in a short time.

    Debates here and there followed. The conflict was not on the basis of the proposed huge sum of $3.5 billion dollars to be spent for the construction; it was not the dispute over who should get the contract, foreign expatriate or indigenous companies? Neither was it the fear over how long the project will span entwined with the willingness (or not) of subsequent administration(s) to complete such pioneering project.

    The imminent degradation of Nigeria’s rich biodiversity, the destruction of her ancestral heritages, the possible extinction of wildlife like the Cross River gorillas and further threats to the diminishing population of chimpanzee, pangolin, and forest elephant were the issues that attracted international uproar over the construction of the superhighway.

    Records have it that the world’s largest decline of any subspecies of great ape recorded is the Cross River gorillas. Between 1995 and 2010 – 5 years, there was a 59 percent decline rate in their population. The Cross River superhighway could have in few months raised that percentage by another 41 per cent, thereby, causing this endemic species of Gorilla (with less than 300 left in the wild) to be entirely wiped off.

    The decision to reroute the highway is a big win considering that Nigeria is viewed as a ‘democratic’ country where people in power – federal and state take decisions with or without (mostly without) long-term consideration of the resultant effect of such actions or policies.

    The selfless act of passionate environment-conscious individuals, organizations and closely related agencies across the world that stood up and spoke loud enough concerning this issue is highly commendable.

    We sincerely thank President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Ayade for this. The decision to reroute the highway and to suspend plans for the superhighway’s 20km-wide buffer through some parts of the Cross River National park is a win for our irreplaceable wildlife, a win for posterity, a win for Nigeria’s biodiversity and a win for the world at large.

    Now that we know that the superhighway’s new route will ensure that Nigeria’s biodiversity is prioritized and that our fauna and flora entities will thrive undisturbed, we are super excited about the project and anticipate its realization.

     

    • Adebote ‘Seyifunmi

    Abuja.

  • ‘We want superhighway, but don’t deplete our forest’

    ‘We want superhighway, but don’t deplete our forest’

    As the controversies over the Cross River State superhighway rage, communities have begged that they do not want it to cause the damage of their forests.

    The superhighway, proposed by Governor Ben Ayade, is to run 260km from Bakassi Local Government Area in the southern senatorial district to Bekwarra local government area in the northern senatorial district. Both points are extremes of the state.

    The state is host to the largest remaining rainforest in Nigeria, which are globally acknowledged as one of the richest sites for biodiversity in the world.

    The forest communities of Edondon and Okokori in Obubra Local Government Area as well as the New Ekuri and Old Ekuri in Akamkpa Local Government areas urged the that the government should go ahead in a manner that would not affect the forests.

    The communities, who spoke after a Community Dialogue on Forest and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) training organised by Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in the two local government areas, said they had been preserving the forests for years, which they had inherited from their forefathers.

    The state government said though over 250 trees would be affected by the project, about 5 million more would be planted. Also, setting the communities are on edge is a gazette published by the state government revoking 10km on either side of the entire stretch of the road.

    Though the government had said that the area would be for development control, this has done little to assuage the nerves of the people who do not understand what this really means.

    Village head of Old Ekuri, Chief Steven Oji, said: “We learnt about sustainable management. We started conserving our forests from our forefathers. And until now we do not even allow logging companies to come here and log. That is why you see this beautiful forest and we don’t want people to come and destroy it. Because of this the whole is thanking us as it would provide oxygen to keep people alive. And they are going to pay us carbon credit for keeping the forests.

    “We are not against the highway. We want highway, but the width of the highway should be constructed outside.”

    Mr Innocent Imah Oyamo from Old Ekuri community said: “If the forest is healthy, we will be healthy. We have been preserving the forests from our ancestors. We want the road but let a proper Environmental Impact Assessment be done so that our environment will not be degraded.”

    Akamo Nathaniel from New Ekuri community said the forest was their source of livelihood and losing it could mean losing the means of income, their homes, heritage and culture.

    Mr Okon Erem from Okokori community said: “The road should not lead to the destruction of the forests. If it is going to destroy our forests, we say no. Otherwise it is a welcome development. If they do a proper EIA where everyone would be involved, then there would be no problem. All we are saying is that let the right thing be done. “

    Mbe Martins Jonah from Edondon community said: “We inherited the forests and do not want anything to kill it.”

    Director of HOMEF, Rev Nnimmo Bassey said: “We intend to bring the communities together to look at the place of EIA in development projects within forest communities. We want to raise issues about what the people should look out for when an EIA is prepared, the roles of communities in EIA preparation and hope to have a team of forest eco-defenders.“

     

     

  • Coalition decries opposition to C/River superhighway

    Coalition decries opposition to C/River superhighway

    A frontline pro-development group, Coalition of Civil Society and Media Executives for Policy Stability (COCMEP), has described as ridiculous anti-people position being canvassed by an International Green Foundation, the Henrich Boll Stiftung, a foreign non-governmental organisation and its local collaborators against the 260km superhighway project being embarked upon by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State.

    The coalition urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to disregard the position of Henrich Boll Stiftung and conclude the approval process of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project.

    Addressing a press conference in Abuja, President of COCMEP, Comrade Innocent Okadigbo said: “The argument that the project would distort conservation is weak, porous and ill-informed because for every one tree affected, two trees would be planted and the State Government has established the Green Police made up of 1,500 young Cross Riverians to protect the state’s rich and vast forest reserve.”

    Comrade Okadigbo further deplored the mischievous alarm by those he described as “self-seeking critics.”

    COCMEP president urged the foreign and local NGOs and other self-appointed environmentalists to borrow a leaf from credible leaders like the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, who is the custodian of the people and their culture; the champion of the Bakassi people, Senator Florence Ita Giwa, the senator representing Southern Cross River, Gershom Bassey, among other prominent sons and daughters of the state, who have all endorsed the signature project.

    According to the coalition, “President Buhari was in Cross River State on October 20, 2015 and performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the project based on interim EIA report by the Federal Ministry of Environment.”

    The coalition described critics of the state’s superhighway project as “hypocrites for refusing to take into consideration similar projects like the 48,000 miles United States Inter-state Highway System (IHS); China’s National Trunk Highway System with nearly 70,000 miles highway as of 2014; the 3,600 miles highway in India and the ongoing 1,600km Trans-Sumatran highway route in Indonesia, all criss-crossing forests and national parks of the aforementioned countries.”

    According to the coalition, “It is therefore curious and suspicious why these critics are desperate and hell bent on stopping the project as if they were paid to do so.

    “These superhighways in other countries had grave effects on human population and conservation and yet they were executed. What is wrong in replicating such massive infrastructural project in Nigeria? Is Nigeria insulated from modernisation and globalisation?”

    COCMEP urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to understand the antics of mischief makers opposed to the project and ignore them and go ahead with the conclusion of the approval process within the ambits of the law for the construction of the project, noting that after all, many developed countries of the world had embarked on more massive superhighway project than this.

    The coalition further argued that “the Cross River superhighway will link local areas with the urban centres and bring about infrastructural development. Its sister-project, the Bakassi Deep Seaport will definitely stimulate economic development of the state, Nigeria and West African sub-region because they will all be interlinked. So, anybody who is opposed to this huge economic project is unpatriotic and an economic saboteur.”

  • Ayade and C/River superhighway

    Ayade and C/River superhighway

    Recognizing the importance of a superhighway for a fast growing economy like Cross River State, a state endowed with enormous resources- great human intellect, vast biodiversity, large body of waters and immense mineral resources is something that requires deep thinking, good vision and great intellect.

    Right from the first day of inauguration of Senator Benedict Benyaushuye Ayade as governor of Cross River state, he unfolded an ambitious project of providing an alternative road and deep seaport comparable to anyone in the world, and these projects he nicknamed the “Signature Projects”.

    Despite the storm of scepticism and criticism he had had to ride on account of the audacity of his dream, the governor refused to allow the wind be taken out of the sails of his audacious vision of economically reengineering the state. For instance, a coterie of professional critics, in a bid to play petty politics, had gone to town trying to pooh-pooh the signature projects as unachievable.

    But refusing to be distracted, he stayed focused on his vision and mission and just when the thinking was that his dream was dead on arrival, he had the best laugh on October 21, when President Muhammadu Buhari, defied all the odds, especially the belting rain, to personally perform the epoch ground-breaking ceremony.

    Even those who believed Governor Ayade was chasing the wind with his signature projects struggled and snuggled up to the President, all to be seen, when he eventually came calling for the ceremony.

    The 260 kilometre superhighway beginning from the more than 14 meters Bakassi deep seaport which will serve as an evacuation route will not only link the northern part of Nigeria and the neighbouring landlocked countries of Chad and Niger republics, but will equally shorten the distance from Calabar to Gakem, the last Cross River State community and border town to Benue State by about 82 kilometres.

    When completed, the superhighway will become the first tunnel road in Nigeria with first-class satellite antenna, fibre optic cable that would guarantee unlimited internet access all the way.

    Equally, it will be the first of its kind designed to be built without hills and valleys, first with speed control cameras and 24-hour ambulance services, first with sub-highways linking all the local government headquarters in the state, and first with motels and filling stations reaching 10 kilometres on both sides of the way.

    To underscore the strategic importance of the superhighway and the Bakassi deep seaport to the state and the country in general, it could not have been any other person than President Muhammadu Buhari who came in person to perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the official commencement of actual construction work.

    His glowing comments on the occasion about the projects depict the extent with which Buhari holds Governor Ayade for his vision and his acceptability of the project. The President stated on the occasion that – “When completed, this road, which starts from the seaport and terminates at the boundary between Cross River and Benue states will link the southern part of Nigeria to the North-central, the North-east and ultimately, Central Africa. This will undoubtedly expand the boundaries of our economy by providing countries such as Niger Republic and Chad access to the seaport”.

    He went further to commend the state governor and his team for their foresight in conceptualizing this project, and asserted that “given the multiplier effect these two laudable projects are expected to generate, in terms of aggregate spin-offs, I want to assure you of my determination and as well as the commitment of the Federal Government to ensuring that this road and indeed the seaport run to a quick completion”.

    If the presence of the President and the consequent performance of the ground-breaking was an endorsement of the mind-blowing projects, then the massive assemblage of who’s who in and outside the state, ranging from Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Rochas Okorocha of Imo states, former governors Liyel Imoke and Donald Duke, the three senators from the state and eight House of Representatives members was an affirmation that this was a widely accepted project.

    The presence of the Obong of Calabar and other royal fathers from all the 18 local government areas led by the state chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council, Etinyin Dr.

    As an environmentalist and one who has for long been involved in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for several multinational firms, Governor Ayade understands fully the importance of preserving the environment. A former environmental consultant with Shell Petroleum, chairman of the International Institute of Environmental Research in Rivers Sate, winner of multi-million Japanese Yen in research in global warming, in conceiving the superhighway, he was mindful of the pristine place of the Cross River National Park and the need to retain its pride.

    However, elsewhere, such superhighways are known to have been built criss-crossing various national parks, if anything, to create footfalls around such parks.

    For instance, the Plitvice Lakes National Park, located in Lika-senj County in Croatia at the border with Bosnia Herzegovina, lies North-South superhighway crossing the national park and connecting the Croatian inland with the Adrian coastal region.

    In Canada, there is the Mountain National Park and the Jasper National Park with a railway route passing through the latter, while the Yellow head passes through the former. Also in Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park has a major highway passing through it, with attendant economic spin-off around the park occasioned by the road passing crossing it.

    The Cross River superhighway passing through the National Park therefore would not have been anything new. Nevertheless, the highway had to be rerouted to avoid the National Park, with the closest distance between park and the road ýput at about 7 kilometres. Also, before embarking on the project, the governor had put in place necessary framework that would adequately protect the environment and the ecosystem.

    Accordingly, any one tree that would be cut down to pave way for the superhighway, two to three trees would be replanted.

    To this end, an environmental management expert, Francis Njeni is saddled with the task of painstakingly identifying that every specie of trees felled and to ensure that such trees are replanted as well as take accurate stock of the numbers of persons whose farms/crops are affected by the highway are compensated.   According to the expert, “We are taking stock of all the different species of trees that have been cleared and would be cleared to give way for the road and to ensure the replanting of such species in accordance with the policy of the state government under Senator Ayade. Every one tree that has been cleared or would be cleared, two or three trees would be planted to replace it. Portions of land would be gotten where the different species of trees would be replanted, and I have been able to identify the trees that have been felled. Government has put in place measures to take care of people whose crops have been and would be uprooted to give way to the road, and for the past three or four days now I have been taking statistics of farmers whose farm lands have been cleared, with their names, ages, state of origin, their community, the size of the farm and type of crop or crops they planted that were cleared.”

    With the ritual of the groundbreaking ultimately performed, incurable sceptics are gradually coming to terms with Ayade’s approach to Cross River’s economic renaissance that will take the state to the next level.