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| Gov Ayade receiving Outline Business Case (OBC) by the Federal Government appointed transaction adviser, Feedback Infrastructure Limited |
9 April 2019
FUNDING FOR THE SUPERHIGHWAY
His Excellency
Governor (Prof.) Ben Ayade
Governor of Cross River State
Governor’s Office
Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
Phone: +234(0)803 5560 233
Email: ngayi12@yahoo.com
Your Excellency,
RE: The request letter from the office of the Secretary to Government of Cross River State, to the Honourable Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, refers.
Your Excellency would recall that the attention of the public was drawn to the superhighway project in October 2015, that is, when President Mohamadu Buhari, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, performed the ground breaking event ceremony. Your Excellency would also recall that on Monday, July 3rd, 2017, we wrote a public letter to Your Excellency, through the office of the Commissioner for Finance for disclosure of the true nature and source of funding and /or loan for the superhighway project. It is sad to note that our request was disregarded in contravention of the relevant provisions of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), 1999 as amended.
However, it is observed that recently, the letter from the Secretary to Government of Cross River State, Barrister Tina Banku Agbor, to the Honourable Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly dated 19/02/2019, requested for approval of modalities for the funding of the project. It is observed that the method of funding of the project as stipulated is by Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) for the sum of N648, 870, 730,739.23 (Six Hundred and Forty Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventy Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Nine Naira, Twenty-Three Kobo, payable at N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) every month for a period of 180 years (One Hundred and Eighty Years), payable to MERRS SYDNEY Construction Company.
The first problem in this transaction arises from the fact that there is no documentation pertaining to the appointment of MESSRS SYDNEY Construction Company as contractors for the superhighway project by due process. The second problem is that there is no documentation pertaining to the approval by the Cross River State House of Assembly of the funding of the project before the commencement of the superhighway.
It is therefore curious that the first document pertaining to the funding of the project is appearing for the first time more than 3 years (3yrs) after the commencement of the project. This procedure is certainly contrary to due process stipulated by the laws of Cross River State.
Our concern on this matter is anchored on the request before the Assembly demanding that the generation of our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and beyond are being railroaded into a debt burden that would span over 180 years (One Hundred and Eighty years), in respect of a project that does not conform to due process ab-initio.
From the foregoing, it is our desire to request Your Excellency to kindly reconsider committing the generations of our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and beyond into liabilities spanning up to 180 years (One Hundred and Eighty years); for a road project that certainly will not last up to 180 years (One Hundred and Eighty years) without the persistent demands for expensive and comprehensive maintenance.
We thank your Excellency, the Governor, for your kind consideration.
Please accept our best wishes to you now and always,
Odey Oyama
Executive Director
Monday, April 01, 2019.
