By Jeff Agbodo, Abakaliki
The people of Ndiebor Ishieke Autonomous Community in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have called for strict compliance with the directive of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on borrow-pit operations along the ongoing Calabar–Ebonyi–Enugu-Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway project.
The community urged the relevant authorities and the project contractor to ensure that further excavation activities complied with the minister’s directive, particularly regarding landowners’ consent, consultation with host communities and the protection of farmlands and economic crops.
The stakeholders, who commended Umahi for his intervention over concerns about alleged damage to agricultural lands in the area, said effective enforcement of the directive was necessary to safeguard rural livelihoods, prevent further encroachment and avert avoidable disputes between affected residents and the project authorities.
The community in a joint statement signed by the traditional ruler of Ndiebor Ishieke Autonomous Community, Eze Hyacinth Awoke Nwiboko; the President of the community.
They acknowledged the interventions and contributions of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, and Senator Peter Nwebonyi, representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, towards addressing the concerns associated with the project.
They, however, maintained that the minister’s directive must translate into concrete measures to protect affected landowners and ensure that construction activities were conducted in accordance with the relevant safeguards.
According to the statement, the community supports the superhighway project because of its potential to improve transportation, facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and other goods, and stimulate economic development across the benefiting states.
The stakeholders nevertheless cautioned that the pursuit of infrastructure development should not undermine the property rights, economic security and environmental safety of host communities.
“Our community supports the superhighway project and recognises its potential to boost transportation, trade and economic development.
However, we maintain that infrastructure development must respect the land rights, agricultural livelihoods and environmental safety of host communities,” the statement said.
The community expressed concern over reports of damage to farmlands and economic crops, noting that agriculture remained a major source of livelihood for many households in the area.
It identified yam, cassava, rice, millet and beniseed among the crops cultivated by residents, warning that the destruction of productive farmland could worsen the economic difficulties of affected farming families.
The stakeholders consequently called for a transparent assessment of the alleged losses and appropriate compensation for verified damage to crops, farmland and other legitimate property interests arising from the excavation activities.
They also urged the relevant authorities to establish effective communication channels involving traditional institutions, community representatives, landowners, project supervisors and the contractor before further borrow-pit operations were undertaken.
The community leaders said prior consultation and timely communication would help prevent misunderstandings, promote mutual trust and ensure that legitimate grievances were addressed before they escalated into disputes.
They further called for the reclamation of abandoned or exhausted borrow pits and the implementation of adequate environmental safeguards to protect residents, agricultural land and the surrounding ecosystem from hazards associated with excavation activities.
The signatories stressed that transparent procedures for assessing affected properties and determining compensation were essential to securing the cooperation of host communities and sustaining public confidence in the project.
On the broader development concerns, the community commended Governor Nwifuru for his administration’s development efforts in Ebonyi State and acknowledged Senator Nwebonyi’s representation of the district, including his reported legislative contributions towards attracting the superhighway project.
They appealed to both public officials to sustain their engagement with the relevant federal authorities to ensure that the concerns of affected residents received appropriate attention.
The statement added that the successful implementation of the project required a balance between the Federal Government’s infrastructure objectives and the legitimate interests of communities whose lands were affected by construction activities.
Reaffirming their commitment to peaceful engagement, the traditional ruler and other signatories pledged the community’s cooperation with the Federal Government, the Ebonyi State Government, the Ministry of Works and the contractor in finding a lasting resolution to the concerns.
“Our position is clear: we support the superhighway project, but development must not come at the expense of our land rights, livelihoods and environmental safety,” the statement added.
The stakeholders expressed hope that compliance with Umahi’s directive would lead to practical measures to protect affected landowners, address outstanding compensation claims and ensure that construction activities proceeded without unnecessary conflict with host communities.
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