After nearly a decade of
neglect and abandonment following the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon in 2007, the displaced people of Bakassi can now heave a sigh of relief as Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade, has awarded contract for the construction of affordable homes for them
The sum of N200 million has been set aside for the project.
Receiving the Chairman of Lafarge Africa, Mr. Bolaji Balogun, and his management team on a courtesy call in his office in Calabar, Governor Ayade said that the state was going to partner with the cement manufacturers that also build affordable homes  to actualise the project.
“We are a responsible state that is sensible to the needs of our people. We want you to do a small pilot for the people of Bakassi returnees. I will like to do a small commitment of the sum of N200 million to start the resettlement process.
“These are people that we feel so emotional about, people that have been deprived and displaced from their heritage and there is nothing worse than that, that could happen to a man and we want to find a permanent solution to their plight,” he said.
On the capacity of the company to deliver on the project, Ayade pointed that, “given your advantage of scale, quality of work so far delivered in other projects you handled and the expertise deployed to deliver, I am confident that this initiative alone will bring unprecedented prosperity to the company and the state at large as we collaborate.”
He further directed the Commissioners for Social Housing, Finance, Lands and other relevant agencies to collaborate with the company to kick start the process of building the homes.
On the 260 km superhighway, Ayade appealed to Lafarge to find a way to get involved in the construction because according to him, “We have concluded negotiations with Aliko Dangote to use concrete for the construction of some part of the project and now that you are here, we are hopeful that Lafarge will join the train.”
Ayade commended Lafarge for its good corporate social responsibility in the rehabilitation of Federal Roads in the state, but urged them to do more by expanding their scope.
“With over one billion naira worth, the impact on the people is not quite commensurate as I appeal to you to do more to impact on the lives of the host communities and the state at large because when the community feels satisfied, the business will sure thrive and be more profitable,” he stated.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar