By Nuella Jacobs
An Operator of Quarry business in Akampka Local Government Area has decried the negligence of the Cross River State House of Assembly in resolving the ongoing issues surrounding the Haulage of Granite from the Area by multinational companies in the state, especially Sterling Oil and Gas Company.
In the year 2022, the House of Assembly raised a motion on the floor of the 9th Assembly to invite the Sterling Oil and Gas Company to offer a public explanation of its haulage activities which is not in the interest of the indigenes as it negates the Local Content Law.
To this end, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Faith Plant Global Services Limited, Mr Michael Asuquo said he had not gotten any feedback from the 9th Assembly and certain individuals handling the matter.
“There was an issue and then we raised our voices, we cried out to our lawmakers and we are still waiting for them, the moment they are out to speak, the press will hear, for now, we are still waiting”, Asuquo said.
Meanwhile, Dominic Akaba, Chairman of the Special Committee set up by the State House of Assembly to mediate on the matter, said his committee had started carrying out investigations into the matter but met a roadblock from the executive arm.
Akaba said, “While the committee was trying to intervene, there was another committee from Governor Ben Ayade’s office also mediating on the same matter, so the committee of the House had to stay out of action because the committee was told that the State Government was handling the same issue”.
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According to him, the Special Committee did not want a conflict of issues with the executive arm of government – so they had to lay low.
“Not that the committee is totally silent, we didn’t want a situation where conflicting visions will come here and there, since the executive arm of government has started theirs, we have to let them finish, if there’s any aggrieved party, then the House will take up from there”, he added.
Recall that the Cross River State House of Assembly had mandated the Special Committee to invite the Sterling Oil and Gas Company to offer a public explanation of its haulage activities which is not in the interest of the indigenes as it negates the Local Content Law.
