Environmentalist Odigha Odigha, Gov Ayade Trade Blames over 260klm Super highway Construction In Cross River

 

From: Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar

Arguments as to whether the construction of the 260 kilometre super highway through pristine forests in Cross River should be sanctioned or not, took a new dimension as the state Governor. Ben Ayade and an environmentalist, Dr Odigha Odigha, who also hails from the state, continued to trade blames and join issues on the project.

While Dr Odigha Odigha, the immediate past Chairman of the Cross River State Forestry Commission, described Gov. Ben Ayade’s administration as one lacking in integrity, the governor told a United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) programme’s team that visited him at Government House, Calabar that Odigha was opposed to the success of the project.

Ayade also alleged that Odigha and others whom he “sacked” were collaborating with the international communities to frustrate the construction of the super highway project.

“It became news when this same Governor chose to do a super highway creating a width of just 35 metres, a corridor of 35 metres, which will have less than 20, 000 trees to be removed with a corresponding five million trees to be planted. It is being dramatised because suddenly a man who sat in this position as Chairman of Forestry Commission was sacked for selling wood.

“Today he has an NGO (non-governmental organisation) that he is using to write to all of you campaigning against the superhighway, the same thing with the Chairman for anti-deforestation task force.

“We sacked him based on Police report that the forest were being degraded and he was party to reselling of all the seized wood. When we asked him for the money from the sale of the wood he said he used it to run the task force and I sacked him.

“Those two people have come together because they all have access to all of you for this long. And they promised that they will launch a campaign against the superhighway.

The governor also told the UN-REDD team that his administration had made efforts to stop deforestation and stealing of wood from the forests.

“We have mobilised task force for anti-deforestation, we have mobilised the police and army to look for people who are stealing trees and then we do not even get appreciated as a state. What we get is two small people who stole trees and were arrested and sacked and have decided to internationalize the project.

“I speak so emotionally about it because the negative campaigns are the handiwork of two people who if I was a traditional politician, would simply had for the sake of votes, tolerated them, maybe transferred them to another unit. But when I got the Police report, I felt they have failed because I saw the massive loss of forest which happened before I came into office and I decided to reverse it by planting five million trees,” Ayade said.

But Odigha said that Ayade was unfair to him in his comments. He said that during his tenure in the forestry commission he pursued vigorously the anti-deforestation programme of his employer, Sen. Liyel Imoke, the immediate past governor of the state.

“I have never been a civil servant and have never solicited for appointment but it fits Governor Liyel Imoke to appoint me as Chairman of Cross River State Forestry Commission. It was a tenure appointment and when he was going, he dissolved all structures including the Forestry Commission.

“I served in an administration that had integrity and everything was tenured and I had a proper appointment paper and I was paid my remuneration except severance allowance and I am happy. I don’t think I will wish myself a misfortune of working in Ayade’s administration that lacks integrity, where there is no evidence of appointment, neither are people given salaries and stuff like that.

“I worked in a properly organised place. Imoke appointed me and when he was going, he dissolved his structures, including the Forestry Commission. And I thank God for that privilege to serve Cross River State. I will continue to serve the state, Nigeria and the world as long as God gives me the Grace in an honourable way, with integrity, reputation because I have a name to protect,” Odigha said.

Odigha, now Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) Non-Governmental Coalition for Environment, also reacted to the allegation that Ayade sacked him for selling of seized woods.

“I have never been associated with anything called wood in terms of sales and of course he could not have sacked me when I was not in his administration.

“I was with Liyel Imoke and pursued vigorously the anti-deforestation programme. Imoke neither indicted nor sacked me. I have never had the misfortune of working for Ayade not even for one day. My concern has always been that he or any other person will do what is right in Cross River State.

“Governor Imoke appointed me into his government and 4 others as Chairman and members of Cross River State Forestry Commission on full time in September 2010, dissolved by same Imoke before Ayade assumed office as Governor. I have never worked under him so he could not have had the opportunity of sacking me.

“I think he (Ayade) should probably correct himself. He appointed me and he never came to meet me in office as Chairman? Let him go and think properly, maybe there is somebody else,” he said.   

Odigha said that his position on the super highway had been that much as he is not disinclined to sustainable development, the super highway must not pass through pristine forests.

“I want development and we are craving for sustainable development. The super highway must not pass through the tropical thick forest and that is the only heritage we have of note. It is better advised that he pulled the super highway out of the pristine forest and leave the rain forest alone. That is what the world is saying.

“What kind of highway is this? This is the first time anywhere in the world that they are doing a highway that takes 20 kilometres as offset. It is strange, the road is only 75 metres and standard highway says 50 metres on either side but he has acquired 200 metres from the left and right of the road and then a further 10 kilometre on the left and the right.

“I think a government that has integrity should explain and engage stakeholders appropriately. He should promote the rule of law and transparency and accountability. Development is not for one person but for all of us,” Odigha said.