The Cross River State Government on Monday, threatened to adopt an aggressive approach if the Federal Government (FG) fails to grant her the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) final permit to commence the construction of its 260 kilometre super highway.

According to the state’s commissioner of Land and Housing, Mr. John Inyang, during a press briefing in Calabar, the Ayade’s led administration will explore other constitutional options to actualize the project if the FG does not do the needful in March, 2017.

In his inaugural speech on May 29, 2015, the state’s governor, Ben Ayade, declared his administration’s resolve to embark on some signature projects, including the superhighway and a deep sea port in Bakassi.

Joined in the briefing by his counterparts in the Information and Orientation ministry, Mrs. Rosemary Archibong; Water Resources, Mr. Gabe Odu, Climate Change, Mrs. Alice Ekwu and Finance, Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyoung (Jnr), the state government alleged that the FG’s delay in the release of the EIA had not only caused her so much resources in the preliminary works performed at the project site, but also the commitment of the initial group of interested investors.

Even as he accused some Non-governmental Organizations (NGO’s) of conniving with perceived political opponents of the state government to frustrate the project, Inyang demanded the cooperation of all and sundry to kick start the super highway construction, in view of its economic benefits to both the state and federal governments.

The commissioner explained that most of those opposed to the super highway have nothing reasonable against the project execution, adding that their only fear was that it will be a political score for the Ayade’s led administration.

“Some of the NGO’s have decided to join our opponents to politicize the super highway project. Of the truth, if you listen to some of them talk, they have nothing against the super highway other than for it not to succeed because it would be a political score for the Ayade’s led administration.

“In order to ensure the success of the project, we have sacrificed the 10 kilometer span, limiting ourselves to 70 meters. From today, they have nothing to say against the super highway rather than to cooperate with us.

“We have met all the requirements as far as EIA requirement is concerned. So, we are going to be aggressive about it after the second week of March, 2017, when we don’t get our EIA”, he said.

 

Source: Leadership.ng

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