Bakassi Super Highway: Cross River Gives FG Ultimatum

The government of Cross River State has accused the Federal Government of stalling two of the three signature projects of the Governor Ben Ayade-led administration.

The projects are the 260 km Super Highway from Bakassi to Bekwara in the northern part of the state and the Deep Seaport at Bakassi.

On the Super Highway, the Cross River State government issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government which is, to grant approval for the project to take off by mid March this year.

Speaking at a news briefing at the weekend in Calabar, five commissioners in the state led by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dr. Rosemary Archibong, decried the role of federal agencies in the delay that has prevented the commencement of the projects conceived to make Cross River an industrial hub and to reduce the state’s dependence on federal allocation.

Archibong said that while the Garment Factory, one of the three main projects, is up and running, with requests from the police and Peace Corps for uniforms from the factory, the case is different for the other two projects which have been stalled due to the politicization and unnecessary demands being by federal agencies.

“Each time there is a demand, the state government ensures the demand is met. The 10km buffer for the Super Highway has been the issue. This has been reduced to just 70 metres as part of the concessions we have made. The Federal Government and other stakeholders should now see reason and allow the project to be executed,” Archibong said.

She said all the noise about destroying the environment is a ruse, adding that land is vested in the state government under the Land Use Act, but that “we depend on the Federal Government for approval for the use of land. We have been law abiding but we can invoke our constitutional powers to overrule the Federal Government.

“We are not happy about how they are treating us about projects that will take Cross River State out of recession. We are being shortchanged.”

According to Archibong, “we have options within the law to actualise the projects. The governor is committed to developing the state. The detractors who want Cross River State to remain a civil service state don’t want these projects. The Deep Seaport will open up Cross River State. If we are frustrated further, we will look for other viable, legitimate options.”

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Lands, Dr. John Ofem Inyang, said a lot is being done to ensure that the projects are actualised, adding that Governor Ayade is passionate about them.

“The road corridor has been reduced from the initial 10km buffer to a 70 metre span on either side. This is a major decision to ensure that the road project takes off and is completed. NGOs capitalised on the 10km span to create obstacles. Now those opposed to it can embrace the project which will improve the fortunes of the state,” Inyang said.

He added: “Some NGOs and our political opponents have joined forces to politicise the super highway. Forests have to be removed to develop a city. In this case, only 70 metres are being taken on either side of the highway. The Governor and government of the state know what they are doing.

“As a people, we have to come together to actualise the projects. Those who don’t mean well for the state don’t want us to use our land appropriately. All lands are vested in the government of a state to be held in trust for use for the benefit of all citizens. A situation where non Cross River people want to dictate how we use our land is unacceptable.”

The Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr. Gab Odu Oji, said at the briefing that the state government is ready to kick off the projects and that it can’t wait any longer or allow federal agencies to delay the projects.

“The constitution allows the state governments to concurrently legislate on the environment. President Muhammadu Buhari is very much interested in the super highway and the deep seaport, and wonders why federal agencies are frustrating Cross River State through unnecessary bureaucracy.

“We are not being confrontational. We are only exercising our constitutional rights. The 10km buffer has been given back to all the affected communities. Only 70 metres will be acquired as corridor. The foreign NGOs are not serving our interest. The WWF is based in Europe where industrial pollution has destroyed their environment. They are only clamouring for forest conservation in Nigeria and Africa to serve the interest of the West,” Oji said.

In her remarks, the Environment Commissioner, Mrs. Alice Ekwu, said the environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been duly submitted and everything stated in the scope has been met.

“Federal Government agencies are now shifting the goal post. The extras they are asking for are outside the initial scope. This is unfair. We are not taking down the forest. The road is passing through a degraded area and some farmlands whose owners are being duly compensated,” she said.

The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Asuquo Ekpenyong, said the projects will be funded by private investors through the PPP and not from the paltry federal allocation.

He said the state’s financial sustainability will be greatly enhanced when the projects are completed.