VITALIS UGOH, Calabar:
The dream for the construction of a Superhighway by Cross River government under the administration of Senator Ben Ayade has been thrashed as the Federal government has said it will not give approval for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) due to poor standard.
Reason, the EIA has not met international standards as well as World Bank requirements, the Minister of Environment Alhaji Ibrahim Jubrin, has said.
Jubrin told a stakeholders’ meeting in Calabar that the 260 km superhighway did not meet international standard just as foreign investors are scared away.
Jibrin further said that “the EIA has not address most contending issues and is short of international standard and cannot meet World Bank requirement”.
The Minister who was represented by the Director on EIA in the ministry, Mr. John Alonge said, “Federal Ministry observed that the state government’s consultant to the project has not done a thorough job and we will encourage the consultants to do a thorough job”.
According to him “at the end of the day we are looking at a valid document that can stand the test of time. This document we will put on website and the World bank will look at it. All concerns will be taken along and jointly addressed. We are tired of shouting, we expect a robust EIA. Do a good job and let your consultant not end in this hall adding, “consultants you have enough to do”.
Responding to questions from newsmen, the minister’s representative said, “the summary is that we are expecting a robust report that will address all environmental and social issues that need to be addressed so that we can have a class document that can meet international best practices”.
He went on to state that “definitely that is a document (EIA) that can not even meet IFC (international Financial Corporation) and World Bank safeguard issues. They have a standard and looking at the document we have standard that have not been met”.
On if the road project can continue if the state’s EIA cannot meet the required standard, he said, “EIA report is a legal requirement which is used to show level of your commitment that is environmental and social issues and at the end of the day it will also dove-tail into your environmental management plan. If there are issues that need to be addressed which are yet to be addressed, unless that is well addressed adequately definitely if gaps are left it will be difficult for ministry to give the nod”.
Earlier, the state deputy governor, prof Ivara Esu said, “it is obvious that all is not against the issue of superhighway however we also noted that our consultants have to look at issues suggested and how we can remedy that. We shall do more consultations of the communities involved to capture all”.
“Also we have noted the expert advise and various issues raised and how they will be addressed, we are a listening government, we want the UN-REDD and funding to continue. We are very anxious about resumption of activities on the superhighway… Please do all you can to assist us positively”.
Earlier, top government officials, civil servants, Labour leaders who were chanting solidarity song inside the hall, thanked the federal government for giving approval for the Bakassi deep seaport but however lamented that the state has lost Bakassi, 76 oil wells, 13 percent derivation and “frustrated in all areas yet we forge along but environmental tools are to help human beings”
They expressed regret that “the state has gotten funding from Spectrum, the Chinese group and several others but they stopped because of the EIA issue.
