Cross River Super Highway Buffer Zone Is Biggest Land Grab Ever In Nigeria – Civil Society Groups

By CrossRiverWatch admin

A cross section of civil society organizations in Cross River State have said that they are in no way against the proposed super highway project but want the right thing to be done at the right time.

The group also accused the Ayade administration of using the Super Highway project buffer zone to perpetrate the biggest land grab ever in the history of the country.

Their position was contained in a communiqué from a one day sensitization forum on African Union Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, held at the Federal Secretariat, Calabar, Cross River State.

According to them, “The forum is not against the construction of the super highway for the benefit of the people of Cross River State and Nigeria but is against the faulty process.

“The on-going Environmental Impact Assessment Report on the super highway should be made participatory and transparent by engaging the community people. There is need for de-revocation of community rights of occupancy for the 20km buffer zone land grab by the government which is the largest land grab ever in Nigeria.”

They added that “There is need for compensation for the destroyed community farmlands and property to be paid. There is need for civil society organizations and affected communities to be proactive and occupy the Cross River State House of Assembly to drum the issues of the super highway to the law makers.

“There is also need for continuous advocacy and mass actions on the super highway using non violent approaches. There is need for international campaigns on the impacts of the super highway project on the people of Cross River State. And there is need to de-revoke the waterfront community land that has been taken by government without the community consent.”

The Civil Society organizations include: Partners for Peace Network, GREENCODE, Achu Foundation, CHEDRES, African Dignity Foundation, Youth Advancement and Development Platform, Safe African Refuges Foundation, PAHCCDI Nigeria, Green Planet, Mfamosing Conservation Society, Green Vision for Community Development Initiative and RWARYDI.

Others are Life Empowerment, Virginia Agbor Foundation, Health Management Resource, Rescue Women for Peace and Development, Ekuri Initiative, Rural Family Reproductive Right, Organization for Rural and Community Development, GADA, HECODEV, Peace Point Action, Development Option, Edem Children Foundation, We-Women Network, CITRA and NGOCE.

The forum also had participants from the following communities Ikot Ene, Akwa Esuk, Esuk Mba, Ikot Ndarake, Ikot Okpo Ene, Ikot Edem Nkarake, Nsidung, and Hausa communities.