By CrossRiverWatch admin
Special Adviser to the Governor on Technical Matters, Mr. Eric Akpo in an interview with some news men on Thursday in Calabar after a meeting with FG Steering Committee on Bakassi Deep Sea Port.
Excerpt:
What is your impression of your interaction with the FG Steering Committee that visited the proposed Bakassi Deep Sea Port?
The team as set up by the federal Ministry of Transport is not to hinder the project but to steer the project to conclusion. So they are not looking at what will not make the project not to work. They are here to look for what will make the project work and I think from all indications, they are satisfied that its fine, a good site for the deep sea port, that is from face value because there are other technical evaluations that will be carried out.
What are some of the challenges the project is facing?
Basically we do not really see any serious challenge that is not related with such a project because citing a sea port project, naturally you will be working at the mouth of the sea and of course when you are working at the mouth of the sea, you will naturally have swamps, mangroves all sorts of swamps around, so accessibility to the site is usually one issue but of course that is not unanticipated. But before we resume work on the project fully, we would have created an access to the site. So I will not say it’s a technical issue that will hinder the job but it’s a technical issue that is also in consideration and of course it will affect the time line because it takes time to create an access.
Fortnight ago we were with the other group from Ministry of Environment, today we are with the Ministry of Transport, in all what is your assessment?
In fact this meeting from the Federal Ministry of Environment and Fed Ministry of Transport goes a long way to tell you that these projects that are being promoted by the administration of Senator Ben Ayade are not just pipe dreams but something is being done to see that these projects are being brought to fruition. For them to come, that means the federal government is keying into the vision as well and also playing their own part.
As a whole when do you think these projects will come to completion?
These projects, Deep Sea Port and Super Highway are long term projects even though we are working in leaps and bounds to see that we curtail most of the things that will cause delay. That is why you see that these meetings are happening in rapid succession, so we are trying as much as possible to see that within the tenure of His Excellency, Governor Ben Ayade these projects are completed.
These projects are PPP projects with the state government, what is the level of the state’s involvement financially?
Now if you will let me take you back to the day His Excellency made pronouncement about these projects, he promised the people of Cross River state that these projects are not going to take any money from the state account. That it is going to be 100 percent PPP project. So for the level of exposure financially for the state, I don’t think there is any. The state will only be exposed to the level of providing land for the sea port, corridor for the super highway. That is the cost for the state. The provision of land for the seaport and the corridor for the super highway is our equity contribution but beyond that the project is proposed by the state and owned by the state and operated on the build and operate transfer kind of basis as a PPP.
Who are the partners you are expecting on the PPP?
For now we are at the level of expression of interest from and we have expression of interest from about 10 companies for the seaport and 12 companies for the superhighway who are interested. Because of procurement law, we are still going about selecting one of the companies that have expressed interest but the process is on and I cannot mention a particular company.
For the Deep seaport how much are you thinking it will cost?
The deep seaport is projected to cost between $500million and $800million.
What do you say about compensation as regards the two projects?
Yes, compensation will surely be paid to people who reside within the corridor of the super highway or within the proposed site of the deep seaport and of course economic trees and farms will also be put into consideration. As I speak, the State Ministry of Lands has done about 70 percent enumeration and they are still in the field to finish up the enumeration. After the enumeration according to the Land Use Act, they can now go into negotiation and then compensation.
Can you use this opportunity to clear some issues that 250,000 trees will be felled for the super highway and the state government will plant 5million trees? What will happen to these fallen trees and where are you planting the 5million?
First of all let me correct an impression, the number of trees that will be affected in the course of the super highway project are not 250,000 but less than 25,000 trees that will be affected. Of course, logging is not the intention of the project so what happens to the trees is not cardinal here. If you check were clearing has been done before now, most of the stumps are still there. So the state government is not interested in the logs but the state government is only clearing a corridor. Of course about 25,000 trees will be affected but as an environmentalist, in his wisdom, His Excellency the governor has decided that if he is going to take out 25,000 trees from the eco system then he should be able to build in 5million trees into the eco system. That is an environmental management plan to checkmate the negative effect of falling of trees. The 5million trees are to be planted to extend the rainforest from the Central Senatorial District where it terminates further into the Northern Senatorial district. So you will see plenty of these trees planted within Local government Areas of Obubra, Ikom, Boki down to Ogoja, Bekwara and Obudu.
What is your parting word to Cross Riverians?
My parting word to Cross Riverians is that they should remain steadfast because like most of us know, the administration of Senator Ben Ayade is a people focused administration and the policies are also people focused and as they say, the voice of the people is the voice of God. So it’s sure to come and these projects are going to see the light of the day. The governor has promised to sacrifice his right eye to see to the completion of these projects and he is working with all he has to see that these projects see the light of the day. I want to assure all Cross Riverians to remain steadfast in prayers and to give all their support where necessary.
Leave feedback about this