C/River superhighway: 185 communities seek Buhari’s help on compensation

A group of environmentalists has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the irregularities and violation of the laws of the country in the proposed superhighway project of the Cross River State government. Speaking in Abuja recently, the group said continuing with the project will breach the constitution of the country.  The environmentalists noted […]

A group of environmentalists has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the irregularities and violation of the laws of the country in the proposed superhighway project of the Cross River State government.

Speaking in Abuja recently, the group said continuing with the project will breach the constitution of the country. 

The environmentalists noted that about 185 communities, with over a million people, were displaced but that government has not compensated them as enshrined in the law.

A video clip showed residents of the affected communities expressing their frustration over the loss of their lands and livelihood.

“We are yet to see any government official to promise us compensation and they have asked us to stop farming and building and we have stopped and as a result we are suffering,” said a farmer George Ndifon-Ikom.

A widow, Felicia Amber Eka-Ikom said she has lost everything to the project and have nowhere to go to but a part of her home that is left undemolished. 

“They will have to kill me before they take me out of here,” she said.

 The Executive Director of Rainforest Resource and Development Centre (RRDC), Odey Oyama, while buttressing why the project should be stopped, said the first up to the fourth Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the superhighway project was plagiarized and fraudulent. 

He said the surveys; coordinates and maps have not yet been produced, neither were they published or gazetted as demanded by the Federal Ministry of Environment.

According to him, the communities were not consulted and that the consultants have not visited the communities for the EIA report, adding that most of the information contained in the report were false and could not be amended to fit the purpose.

“They claimed that they found blue monkey, Chinese crocodile and that is not true,” he said.

Another representative of the communities, Umo Isua-Ikoh of Peace Point Action, said the project is creating other environmental issues in the communities such as open defecation because of the pulling down of structures. 

 “Responding, the Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Media, Christain Ita said the state has begun arrangements to compensate the host communities who will be affected by the superhighway project.