By; VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
Worried by the inability of Cross River State government to commence its signature projects, the organised labour has given the Federal Government a 21-days ultimatum to release the report on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to allow government to commence construction.
It would be recalled that the state governor Senator Ben Ayade, had listed Superhighway and the deep Sea Port as his signature projects and over one and half years running nothing has happened.
Addressing workers before marching round the streets of Calabar, the chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade John Ushie, queried the delay by the federal ministry of Environment in releasing the report.
He said “Cross Riverians are aggrieved and pained at the turn of events. If at the expiration of this ultimatum, the EIA report is not released we shall deploy all lawful measures to drive home our frustration”.
According to him “the road will open up investments in the tourism sector of the state as well as shorten travel time to Obudu Ranch which at present takes as much as eight hours from Calabar due to bad federal highway”.
The superhighway, he added, will promote eco-tourism as access to the flora and fauna sanctuaries will be opened and therefore sustain the glory of Cross Rover as Nigeria’s tourism destination.
He added “the Hon. minister of Environment has postulated that the superhighway will destroy the rain forest of Cross River. What we need is good roads not forest or trees”.
Gob Ayade he said “is passionate about these projects. We stand by him on these projects because he means well”.
Earlier, the state governor Senator Ayade commended the organised labour for their concern over his signature projects.
The organised labour later handed the copy of their petition to the representative of the Minister of Environment at the Federal Secretariat as well as to the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly.
Some of the workers had saying that protested against the rally saying that “the organised labour should concern itself with the welfare of workers and not signature projects.
“We need our promotion. We need our pensions and arrears of gratuity, they argued”.
