NGO kicks over N300m proposal for Cross River superhighway

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Rain Forest Resource Development Centre (RRDC), has rejected plans by the Cross River government to fund the state’s 275-kilometre superhighway project through an irrevocable standing payment order (ISPO) of N300 million monthly from the federation account. 

The state government had, in a letter dated February 19, 2019 to the House of Assembly, requested for an approval to get N300 million from the federation account monthly to pay the contractors, amounting to over N648.8 billion.

In a protest letter to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), dated April 8 and signed by RRDC’s Executive Director, Odey Oyama, the organisation stated: “Our expectations are that from the very beginning, the budget for a project of this magnitude ought to have been approved by the Cross River State House of Assembly (CRHA).  

“Correspondingly, we hereby request from your office the documents pertaining to the approval issued by the CRHA for the sum of money stated in your letter.”