Ayade decries FG’s red tapism on governance

The Cross River state government has accused the federal government of unnecessary redtapism in its handling of issues in governance. Not impressed with the delay in getting an approval for the take off of the state’s 260 kilometre super highway project, Ayade said, “the red-tapism in government particularly as orchestrated in Cross River is colossal but again its common place”.

Ayade who spoke yesterday during a Hit FM radio programme on his achievements in office said coping with the challenges at the centre was tough.
It will be recalled that Ayade had last week through his Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Rosemary Archibong, issued a three week ultimatum to the federal government to sanction the construction of its proposed 260 kilometre superhighway, saying “the Federal Government must grant approval not later than the middle of March
(2017)”.

But environmentalists have urged the FG to ignore the ultimatum, saying if the approval is given without a proper Environmental Impact Assessment as required by law, what remains of Nigeria’s rainforest found in the state which is one of the richest for biodiversity in Africa, the National Park, United Nations’ Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) carbon credit fund and many others will be lost while over 180 communities will be affected negatively, hence, Ayade “should withdraw the empty threat and tender apology to Cross Riverians.”