Super Highway: Group wants C’River to comply with EIA

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to remain resolute in demanding the Cross River State government complies with environmental standards in the proposed Calabar Super Highway project.
ERA/FoEN position is coming on the heels of threat by the Cross River State government to start construction work on the proposed 260-kilometre superhighway and deep seaport projects having being frustrated by endless wait for the Federal Government’s approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the projects.
The state government said that the non-approval of EIA reports for both projects had led to the withdrawal of some local and foreign investors.
Governor Ben Ayade had on assumption of office in May 2015 announced the construction of three signature projects: the superhighway, deep seaport and garment factory.
Rosemary Archibong, Cross River commissioner for information said the federal agencies responsible for issuing the approvals were frustrating the state’s development programmes, threatening that if EIA approvals were not given by the end of March 2017, the state government might be forced to start construction work on the two projects.
However, ERA/FoEN in a statement, said that the threat by the state to go ahead with the superhighway project when its EIA was still being scrutinised “is disturbing and unacceptable”
Godwin Uyi Ojo, executive director, ERA/ FoEN, said “It will be a breach on our laws and a bad precedent for the Cross River government to attempt going ahead with the superhighway project without a proper EIA. The mere submission of an EIA does not amount to approval or claims to have satisfied all requirements. The Cross River state government should consider that a no action decision that is likely will amount to a rejection of the EIA”.
Godwin Uyi Ojo stated further that, “environmentalists within and outside the country have already alerted on the project’s likely negative impact on biodiversity and about 150 communities including the Ekuri whose livelihoods depended on the forest. The mitigation of the impacts are grossly inadequate hence the need to re-route the superhighway away from pristine forests and neighborhoods.”