Paul Ojeka|16 April 2016|6:45am
Sacrifice in this context means to give away (something valuable) to get at least a possibility to gain something else of value. While the governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ayade Benedict must be ready to make huge sacrifice involving his energy, time and money, the communities along the path of the Superhighway must equally cooperate with the governor to allow the Superhighway find route through their communities.
The question is: Can anything good come without sacrifice? Grossly impossible! Nothing good falls from the blues. Omelette is to a gourmet what earth worm is to a fry. But to have an omelette, you must first break the egg. In the same vein, a farmer must lose his healthy seed yams to generate tubers. Biblical instance, pedagogically, has it that for the redemption of mankind from eternal damnation, the Almighty had to sacrifice his only begotten son – Jesus Christ, on the Cross of Calvary. The loss of oil rich Bakassi Penisular in pursuant of peace between Nigeria and Cameroun deserves mentioning here. What has never been told in the entire human history is the realisation of any worthwhile goal without a sacrifice. It is in acquiescence with the foregoing analogy that Dr. Raphael Ogar Oko submitted thus:
“We have a Federal Capital Territory, we have Government House Calabar, University of Calabar, etc. These are places that people sacrificed for others to benefit. Without sacrifice, will roads be constructed on air? It is madness for people to oppose projects for the benefit of all even if some are sacrificed. On Sunday, you will shout the name of Jesus that he sacrificed his life for the world but your community cannot make a sacrifice for the state. How do you feel?”
Similarly, considering the economic importance of the Superhighway to the socioeconomic life of Cross River State and by extension the entire world, some piece of land MUST be sacrificed without which the new road cannot be created. If it is so obvious that the Superhighway is not a private project of the governor, but on the contrary one that is meant to attract unprecedented fortune to Cross-Riverians – all Cross-Riverians in that matter, then, commentaries on the Superhighway must be positive.
The 10 October 2002 judgement of the International Court of Justice at the Hague resulting in the ceding of Bakassi Peninsular to Cameroun remains an issue that will continue to form the basis of all-time intellectual discourse in Nigeria and the globe when dealing with issues of land based conflicts. Meanwhile, the rhetorical questions which would occupy the lips of great minds, diplomats and patriots will be:
1. By what magic was the Bakassi Peninsular ceded to Cameroun?
2. What makes the ceding of Bakassi Peninsular just, considering its aftermath of abject hopelessness faced by the aborigines of Bakassi?
It's common knowledge that “for several decades, neither Nigerian nor Camerounian ruling elite showed any interest in the Bakassi Peninsular. Neither have they shown any concern nor initiated any programme that is capable of ameliorating the deplorable conditions of mass poverty, squalor and destruction in which most Bakassians live.”
As the saying goes, “it is better to light the candle than cursing the darkness”. Consequently, Prof. Ayade Benedict has, in his usual innovative prowess and inventive genius, come up with his dual signature projects – the 260km Superhighway (from Bakassi to Katsina-Ala) and the deep seaport in Bakassi – to cushion the harsh economic effects imposed on Cross River by the loss of the oil wells which was the mainstay of the economy of the state. The Superhighway which will serve as an evacuation corridor to the Superhighway promises to create mass employment for Cross-Riverians. Besides, it will link up Cross River with the entire states in Nigeria, and neighbouring states. These links to be created by the superhighway will boost business transaction between Nigeria and other states in Nigeria as well as its border countries.
Economic freedom is sine qua non to prosperity. Thus, the impact that the Superhighway will have in deepening the economic relations between Cross River and neighbouring communities as well as proffering solution to the age long employment crisis and poverty calls for sacrifice from all communities along the paths of the Superhighway to make the dream of the project realisable.
Paul Ojeka
Is a Media Aide to the Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade
