By Francis Ogwo
All the 18 local governments areas in Cross River State are planning an N4.5 billion investment in a new airline being proposed by the state government.
The airline, named Carly Air, is a joint venture with the State government and is to operate out of Calabar to different destinations around the country.
The councils, under the aegis of Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGA), have written to State Governor, Senator Ayade seeking approval to invest N250m each in the airline, amounting to N4.5b equity.
In a letter signed by Augustine Ngaji and Christiana Nelson of HOLGA Akamkpa and Calabar Municipal respectively, they requested for the Governor’s approval that each of the 18 local governments of the State should pay the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira(N250,000,000) which will amount to Four Billion, Five hundred million Naira (4,500,000,000).
This is also coming at a time when the relationship between the Local governments and the State government had been threatened with allegations that the State was defrauding the Local governments of financial independence by making them enrich the State at the mercy of the purse of the Local governments.
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) had said the States should grant them independence on managing their funds and expenditures.
It was reported also, that villages within the airport project catchment area protested that their lands have been taken over.
In 2019, three villages in Obudu local government area made an outcry that they have been dispossessed of their lands for the proposed building of a new airport. This led to violence which was later handled.
On the 4th May 2019, the Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade was reported to have written to the heads of three villages in Obudu local government area namely; Atikpe, Ikwomikwu and Okambi, requesting for their cooperation for the commencement and speedy completion of a new airport.
The letter was said to have stated the State government’s plan to acquire about 9-square kilometres of land from the three communities for the project to be known as ‘Obudu International Passenger and Cargo Airport (OIA)’.
The letter also claimed that land acquisition and a compensation process, in line with the Nigerian Land Use Act (2004) will follow immediately along with site preparation works such as land clearing; developing an access road.
A report by CrossRiverWatch indicated that the idea didn’t go down well with the villages affected, but they had to desist from making their protests public, for fear of witch-hunt.
There was also fear expressed, that one of the villages affected in the proposed map of the airport was on the verge of going extinct with the size of land expected to go with the airport project while lamenting that they were not given rooms to express their views but given executive orders which were final.
It is, therefore, an issue that will interest the public on the level of support that would be gotten from the local governments on this project as the State plans to execute the airport projects and the stance of ALGON.
