A non-governmental organization (NGO) Peace Point Action has blamed the Cross River State Governor, Pro Ben Ayade over the alleged high spate of deforestation currently going on in some parts of the state.
According to the organization, “if the rate of deforestation in Cross River continues unabated as currently is the case in Cross River, by the year 2040 Cross River may not have any forest again”.
Peace Point Action made this assertion on Tuesday in Calabar during a workshop which had as its theme; Media Sensitization and forest community community concerns and Super Highway.
The NGO alleged that the proposed Super High Way is a gimmick by the Ayade’s led administration to create access into the hinter land of Cross River so as to have access to exploit the timbers for his own economic gains.
In a speech delivered by Tony Atah, an environmental consultant, “the Super High Way being the first major project of this administration should have united the people but rather, brought doubts in the mines of the people. It has brought pain rather than joy to the people”.
“The Super High Way is not a development issue at all. Rather, a governance issue. If we are not able to sit down as Cross Riverians and discuss, understand what it is all about, we may spend our money without achieving anything”.
Similarly, Pamela Brade in a paper on Media Advocacy, Cross River Super High Way, three years later, questioned the sincerity of Governor Ayade for proposing to construct a road ten kilometers to the right and ten kilometers to the left. She reasoned that such will rather wipe out villages that should have benefited from the project.
Edem Edem who spoke on the journey so far as it concerns the super high way also doubted the sincerity of the governor which had estimated that the super high way will cost about N800 billion but now reduced to N200 billion expressing worry where such an amount of money will come from for the project.
Odey Oyama, a front liner in the NGO and an advocate in the conservation of Cross River Forest said the right thing was not done before Ayade embarked on the super highway project. “Why should they bulldoze farms ranging from cocoa, cassava, yams plantains and several economic crops before they start talking of compensation?” and wondered how assessment could be done in this case.. Oyama said “the cart was put before the horse as far as this Super High Way project is concerned.
He lamented that many communities have lost their artifacts and their History because of the destructions and bulldozing of their communities.
A Journalist with the Guardian Newspaper, Anietie Akpan who spoke on the importance of the forest called on all hands to be on deck in the preservation of the Cross River Forest.
The NGO tasked journalists to investigate into the sincerity of the State Government concerning the Super High Way and the communities involved. They concluded that “the proposed super high way is dead paving way for the real intention of Ayade which is to explore and exploit the forest for timbers”
Highlights of the occasion was a documentary which depicts that those who lost their farms as a result of the bulldozing for the high way are groaning in pains and their children out of schools.
