Efio-Ita Nyok|16 June 2016|7:16am
On 14 June 2016 a cross section of Cross Riverians protested against the Federal Government and Ministry of Environment over what they perceived to be a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government as well as some thirteen international non-governmental organisations to frustrate the construction of Governor Ben Ayade's Signature Projects especially the 260km dual carriage Super Highway anticipated to begin from Bakassi LGA, where it serves as an evacuation corridor for the Deep Sea port to Kastina-Alo in Obudu LGA.
The underlying NGOs had petitioned against the construction of the super high way on the failure of the government of Cross River State led by Gov Ben Ayade to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA):
1. Frond Kwame, African Regional Lead, WWF International, Switzerland;
2. John Robinson, Executive Vice President, Wild Life Conservation Society, USA;
3. Hazell Thompson, Bird Life International UK;
4. Johnathan Bailie, Zoological Society of London, Uk;
5. Richard Bergl, North Carolina Zoo, USA;
6. Russ Mittermeier, Conservation International, UK;
7. Adeniyi Karunwi, Executive Director, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Lagos;
8. Tunde Marakinyo, Founder and Director, Iroko Foundation, UK;
9. John Oates, Hunter College, City University NY, USA;
10. Amadi, Community Conservation and Development Initiative, Nigeria and
11. Zoe Parr Consultant, Botswana, etc.
Rather than meet the requirements for the test and proceed with his project, Governor Ben Ayade is perceived to have resorted to renting a crowd of students, etc to protest FG's decision to stay his hand. Negroidhaven.org obtained an invitation text in which one Odu John Odu was understood to be allegedly asking anticipated recipients to come over to a designated venue for the protest with monetary inducement as incentive to whoever honours his invitation. It reads thus: 'Our dear governor Sen. Ayade is God's gift to us. The seaport and super highway project will change our state. Pls bring 5 persons for a short rally tomorrow. Venue is botanical garden mary slesor avenue, cal. 6am. Demobilisation at the venue. Odu John Odu. 08035070950'.
This move by the government of the state has irked some some Cross Riverians who further perceived Governor Ayade's travel to Canada to sign an MoU as a way of eluding culpability in the stage managing of the protest. Below is excerpt of a cross section of those who expressed their discontent:
Daniel Agbor
The concept of a superhighway is good but the surrounding politics is what has ruined it. Why the protest in the first place. It's totally uncalled for. If a fault is noted in a thing, it beholds on the defaulter to set things right. The EIA from every assessment does not meet international standard. If that is the case, why not do the needful by consulting relevant bodies to get it right. If the vast majority is of the opinion that the present road be rehabilitated of which I echo the sentiment. Why not start something rather wait endlessly for a document you did not put things in their proper perspective. Insisting so much on it when you are at fault implies incompetence and rightly confirm the fear that you have a hidden agenda.
When the temporary EIA was given, the action of the governor of permitting just himself, Sen. Owan Enoh, Pam Ogar only to do lumbering of the trees felled within the area bulldozed of which the timber sliced into marketable sizes. Those belonging to the governor were conveyed to Warri and later ferried abroad are reasons for most question asked. There is every reason to question the intentions of the governor. If he has genuine reasons, he should advance them rather than playing into the gallery. Too many secrets and too many surreptitious actions. No explicit and clear cut activities of the governor. I want to do this, that, those, these, no no no, those ones, these ones. Haba, are you God? Even God doesn't make such promises. Even if God does, God does not make these kind of announcement.
Right now, we have another MOU, partnership with Canada in education. The very schools we have in Cross River are not up to the Nigerian standard, we are now plying Canada. It is good, but I do hope it's not the usual MOU we have all been hearing. Very soon, the governor will sign the following MOUs: MOU to buy a car, MOU to sell in the market, MOU to work in Calabar, MOU to walk, MOU to build, acquire a land, go to school, eat, wear clothes, farm, contest an election and what have you. Do one thing to the end and stop playing pranks with Cross Riverians. Mbok, nsididiemi. Mukemeke usukpong ke Idem? Nso mbuburu k' Ikut emi?
Peter Offem Ubi
A sorry state of affairs. The governor even jetted out to Canada for a fake school scheme
Missang Oyama
Oh! My people. Ah! My own people. Eh! Mbom. Is this how low our society has degenerated? Why has lack, penury, naivety and mental laziness done this to my people? Some day, the jinx shall be broken and the masses of my own people shall be set free. On that day shall they sing, "Free at last, God Almighty, free, freeeeee at last!"
Blessing Njong
These women don't look like market women. These people were paid by Ayade and his cohorts to do this nonsense
Ifere Paul
Are they market women?
Ita Outstanding
Ayade should dualise or even make it ten lanes the old Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja road rather than sinking trillions into this mirage called super highway
Hensie Effiong
Ofiok mkpo owo okut mkpo anyan ebiet, ndisime odoho ekpere imo.
Efio-Ita Nyok
He commissioned Donald Duke's Monorail. Why? Because it had an excellent EIA. He can't kick start his own brainchild. Shame!
Wilco Bassey
We don't even need a superhighway for now is a gigantic project that needs planning and time in other word a long term project and Ayade don't have what it takes for such project.
Joe Osibu
The project is not opposed by anyone but Ayade himself who had never want to do the right thing.
Edo Owan
These projects are not feasible in the present economic reality, starting them will be waste of time and money that would have helped in doing less expensive projects that will impact on the society.. We can't even maintain the old roads and we are talking about a gigantic project like super highway and deep sea port?
Idiku Ability
People don't really know what to criticise in the name of opposition. Opposing a ruling seating government in democracy is to point areas that are outrightly wrong, not condemn what party faithful from other region would even die for. Wise up my brother, let's support good thing.
Awoh Awoh Kingsley
…as much as i will like to embrace developmental growth in Cross River but it is wise and pertinent to be realistic rather than chase a wild goose and wallow in the pull of hallucination.The governor needs to come to terms with objectivity and piriority.
Cletus Obun II
When I said before that Ayade is a scam and won't be able to fund the rehabilitation of ikom-calabar road talk more of a purported "Super Highway" PDP apologists were weeping sentiments, now barely 3 months after the bitter truth has hit you; And now you want the federal government to bail you out the mess you've gotten yourself into because of your autocracy and high-handedness even when you know it's practically impossible because it's not even in the FG's budget! I cannot agree more with Martin Luther who says that folks like Ayade suffer from a "hypertension of words and an anemia of deeds"
So mbok before you build us Eldorado;
Repair Calabar-Ogoja "lesser high way
Stop rampaging cultist
And bring back our clean and green calabar!!
Arikpo Ikpi
Let us not kill ourselves over a 'thy kingdom come project' this project is unrealistic because at the end of the day it would serve as avenue of looting the state treasury n incurring more debt for state.
Tanya Henry
The Governor did not do his home work well. He can't leave federal legislatures aside if he wants to succeed in the state business.
Akwaji Omang
In my view, the " Super highway project" laudable and comendable to state the least. It is timeous too, but puting it's success or possible actualization on the strength of all those CRS legislators (both local and national) whose only interest in goverment is to loot constituency development funds and trade in the projects meant for us, is a sham.
One reaction by Blessing Njong was an attempt to educate another on what an EIA means. This is how she puts it:
Sunny Kassy, These are the definition of EIA:
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-healthimpacts, both beneficial . OR
"Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the process of assessing the likely environmental impacts of a proposal and identifying options to minimise environmental damage. The main purpose of EIA is to inform decision makers of the likely impacts of a proposal before a decision is made. OR :
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an analytical process that systematically examines the possible environmental consequences of the implementation of projects, programmes and policies.
Did Ayade meet any of this terms? Capital NO!
Blessing Njong
Some have questioned why Cross Riverians haven't protested against the poor management of waste in the state capital, Calabar which is of more significance to residents particularly so when one considers the health risk? Peter Offem Ubi has made the observation that these rent-a-crowd protesters had received the sum of five thousand Naira each as incentives for the 14 June protest.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org
