The Cross River State
governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, has reiterated the sanctity of the environment in the construction of the 260-kilometers super-highway.
Speaking while receiving the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita on a courtesy visit in his office, Governor Ayade said “the multi-billion naira super-highway will not degrade the environment but will rather add value to the environment.”
The governor lamented that it was regrettable that some persons had chosen to play politics by ignoring the technical aspect of the project which he noted was important to the socio-economic development of the state.
Ayade who lauded President Mohammadu Buhari for appointing three of the state’s citizens into prominent positions described Oyo-Ita as a thorough-bred technocrat.
He called on the Head of Service of the Federation to use her exalted position to help ensure timely release of approvals necessary for the construction of the super-highway and the Bakassi Deep Seaport.
“Let me use this opportunity to call on the Head of Service of the Federation to kindly put in words on our behalf to the Minister of the Environment and Minister of Transport to expedite action on the EIA document before the Federal Ministry of Environment. The Minister of Environment has come to see things for herself that the issues of the super-highway and the deep seaport were politically exaggerated by some persons,” he said.
“This a president who appointed three prominent Cross Riverians, including the Chief of Naval Staff, Minister of Niger Delta and the Head of Service of the Federation from a state like Cross River which did not vote for him. He is one of the finest leaders of the world who means well for his people.
Again, Cross River State was also the very first state to be visited by President Buhari and made a firm commitment to return to commission the super-highway and the deep seaport,” he added.
Speaking earlier, the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, had said she was in the state to seek for collaborations in areas of waste to wealth programme and technical training for the state’s civil service.
She commended Governor Ayade for his bold initiatives as regards the signature projects and for being the most civil service-friendly governor in Nigeria.
The Head of Service of the Federation appealed to the governor for a piece of land for the construction of the Federal Civil Service Training Centre in Calabar which is the headquarters for the South-South geo-political zone.
Friday Nwagbara, Calabar
