A non-governmental organisation under the aegis of Rainforest Resource and Development Centre (RRDC) has chided governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, over the high rate of deforestation currently ongoing in some parts of the state under the guise of constructing 276 Kilometers superhighway.
RRDC made the allegation in a paper during a workshop with the theme; “Media sensitisation and Forest Community Concerns and Super Highway.” The NGO stressed that if the rate of deforestation in the state is not curtailed Cross River may lose her vast rain forest before the year 2040.
In an interview with journalists shortly after the paper presentation, executive director, RRDC, Odey Oyama alleged that the proposed Super High Way is a gimmick by the administration of Ben Ayade to create access into the hinterland of the state so as to have access to exploit the timbers for his own economic gains.
Oyama, an advocate of forest conservation in Cross River State, blamed the governor for failing to follow due process when he conceived the idea to construct the super highway project adding that the right thing was not done by the administration before kick-starting the super highway project.
The executive director accused the administration of bulldozing people’s economic trees/crops under the guise of doing superhighway without following the due process or making adequate consultation with communities.
He said that bulldozing the rainforest owned by the communities and Cross River National Park, is against the law.
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