Replying to critics over the damage the Super-Highway will imposed on the affected, Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade said the state government is drafting a list of compensation to be published in two months time.
Speaking on the matter, the SSA to Governor on Public Affairs, Tony Undiandeye disclosed this while fielding questions in a radio program, “The Dialogue With Agba Jalingo” on Hit 95.9 FM when co guest, Odey Oyama said no compensation was paid nor the list of those affected compiled by the government.
But, Gov Ayade denied it, claiming that the State was in the process of re-collating data and will soon publish it.
SSA Tony replied that,
“I think that to be fair, you need to call a public hearing for those people who are affected, those people who were not captured in the first enumeration might have their complains taken in, so I think that within two months or so we would have published that list, a comprehensive list of what has been done”.
Alsl Tony replying to a follow up question whether the list will include the land allegedly grabbed by the government, described the issue as “contentious”, adding that,
“what was envisaged by government is that we want to create new cities… the State Government had thought that when that is done (acquiring 10 kilometers either way of the road), it will be held in trust for the communities so that when we go and develop facilities for them to move in, they will move into modern facilities, move into modern communities”.
The Adviser stressed that though government will continue to acquire land legitimately, the allegations on land grab were not true as “Government cannot just wake up and acquire land like that for no just purpose” and insisted it was for “developmental control” while Odey Oyama says a revocation order was published on the CHRONICLE Newspaper of January 22, 2016 and has become law.