PROPOSED LAND ACQUISITION: CRSHA Gets Clarification, Passed Resolutions In Support of the Program

Zebis Prince | Calabar

The Germaine issue heating the length and breadth of Cross River State polity; proposed acquisition of 9000 Hectares of Land in the three senatorial districts has today received the backing of the Cross River State House of Assembly. However, the backing is conditioned by further tasks placed on the Taskforce Committee to ensure a wider, robust consultation process with LGAs and communities across the State is thoroughly engaged, while the House urged the Committee to place premium on Government already gazetted Agricultural Fallow Lands across the State. 

In a plenary session which held yesterday July 23, the CRSHA suspended its order No.74 and lowered the Mace to welcome guests to the Hallowed Chambers for an interactive session on the proposed Land acquisition. The Committee Chairman of Central Senatorial District Hon. Eng. OSIM-ASU and His Southern Senatorial District colleague, Hon. S. E. Nyong, joined by Permanent Secretary of Lands Ministry and Housing were representing the Taskforce Committee to furnished the House with detailed explanation on the purpose for which this mass Land proposed for acquisition will be used, and the prime motive of the Governor to have deemed this program necessary for Cross River State. The Committee shed more light on government’s chief interest of leveraging on a development opportunity to attract Agricultural revolution to the State. Their explanation negated the modus tollens that this proposed Land Acquisition could be the wolf of Federal Government RUGA program. 

Recall that the Cross River State House of Assembly in the plenary session of last Tuesday July 17, 2019, suspended the Activities of the Land Acquisition Taskforce Committee in its Resolutions to the Prayers of a Motion sponsored by Rt. Hon. Dr Itam Abang, which forwarded with an invitation on the said Taskforce Committee Chairmen to appear before It today for  clarification on the sundry matter. 

The Cross River State 9th Assembly truly deserves encomiums at this time for their display of selflessness, boldness and defense of the people’s trust to speak for the masses on this topical issue. It was their sincere acts of legislative governance on this case that is helping the State Government, the Taskforce Committee and the general public to get their Onions together. 

PROCEEDINGS OF THE VISITORS’ SESSION 

The session started when the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the 9th Assembly, Mr Eteng Joans called on Central Senatorial District Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Eng. Dan Osim-Asu to explain to the House the purpose for this lands the State Government commissioned them to acquire. In his address, the Former works Commissioner expressed gratitude to the House for creating the enabling platform for the process to be more democratic. He told the House the lands in demand would be used 1to develop and grow varieties of Agricultural products that will sustain the Agro industries of the State. He revealed that the funds for the development of the program was coming from a World Bank Grant for multipurpose Agricultural development. He explained that this farms to be developed will bring about massive job creation, Rural Development and create a productive Agricultural value chain that will benefit the mainstay of Agro industries across the three senatorial districts of the State. He vehemently allayed every fear that has linked the  program to RUGA or any unpopular Federal Government Agriculture Programs. 
The Committee informed the House of a six stages process involved in their assignment which, they have only completed the first stage (Initial Consultation). The assured the House of the Committee’s  meticulousness in following due process. 

The Honorable Members never left a stone to express the masses’ concerns which they represent. Members quizzed the Taskforce Committee on the Process for Lands acquisition by government, enquired critically on the genuineness of the acclaimed source of this program, and sought to see the Chatter document that the State Government signed with the World Bank on this project. The Honorable Members expressed hope that this initiative is genuine and offer leading advice to the committee on the best approach to executing their assignment. 

HOUSE RESOLUTIONS

Upon the satisfactory explanations of the Land Acquisition Taskforce Committee which shows government intentions for genuine development in the Agriculture sector, the jobs to be created and other value chains that will benefit the entire State from this initiative, the Cross River State House of Assembly Resolved:

1. To Support the State Government on the program.

2. The Land Acquisition Committee must engage all Stakeholders in the process and ensure they conduct saturated consultation with all communities across the State.

3. That the Committee shall consider State Government gazetted  Lands that are lying fallow across the State for this project.