Cross River Super Highway: A Conservation Threat That We Must stopby | 16-03-2016 15:29 |
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 There is an intense on going environmental battle in Nigeria for which we need the support of global environmentalists and conservationists to win. It was on October 20th, 2015 that the Nigerian President, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, flagged- off the construction of a 260 km superhighway in Cross-river State which was initiated by the state governor, Ben Ayade. According to Guardian.ng, the Super Highway is planned to lead from a proposed deep sea port at Esighi in Bakassi Local Government Area run through the Cross River National Park and up to Katsina-Ala in Benue State, Nigeria, at a cost of N700 billion or about $3.5billion. Though the vision for the project may be well intended, the strategy towards it's actualization is not. Governor Ayade wants the 260 KM ambitious road to pass through one of the few remaining forest reserves in Africa especially the Cross River National Park and the Ekuri Community Forest while also displacing inhabitants of the area. These forest zones are so important at this moment more than ever as they represent a major part of notable forest reserve in Nigeria whose integrity has not been breached. The Ekuri people have rejected this proposal and have repeatedly called on the state government to drop the plan but everything seems to be falling on deaf ears. The Cross River state government had already revoked some lands on which the Ekuri people live and farm to accommodate the apparently outrageous size of the proposed superhighway with the people accusing the government of trying to leave them landless. It is with pity, anger and disappoint that they watch a government they voted into power planning not just their destruction, but that of huge forest resources. These forests are even more important because of its conservation of a rare species of Gorilla. The government claims an Environment Impact Assessment have been done to ascertain the feasibility of the project but the people are denying that as they are yet to be consulted for their thoughts which is a necessity in such assessments. Guardian.ng reports that "groups such as the NGO coalition for the Environment (NGOCE) is raising awareness of the effect of the project while Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has produced a map for the southern section of the highway showing how it will affect Ekuri and the Oban section of the Cross river National Park as well as the northern section including the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary that harbours the Cross River Gorilla" but your voice and support is needed urgently to stop this project from happening. The government of Cross River State is already alleged to be working silently on the project site. But what I stand for is that the government of Cross River State should re-route the super highway Nigeria's Minister for Environment, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed, recently assured that the federal government will address concerns over the Cross River Super Highway but we need the actions soon before it is too late. Let's all call on the Cross River State government to re-route the plan through a channel that is less damaging. In a time where Nigeria's deforestation level is topping the global chart, in a time where Wildlife species in Africa are going extinct, in a time where humanitarian challenges are crumbling economies, this kind of project is not expected from a well-meaning government who committed to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union. Let's stop this!!! Photo Source: Guardian.ng |
