Don’t Eject Cocoa Land Allottees, Mbume Traditional Rulers Tell Gov Otu

Traditional Rulers of Mbume of clans in Etung local government area of Cross River State have kicked against the ejection of allottees of cocoa plots by Governor Bassey Otu administration.

The cocoa farmers were allotted the lands by the immediate-past administration of Governor Ben Ayade.

The monarchs urged State governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, not to eject cocoa farmers with genuine papers of payment to government’s coffers in order to avoid crisis in the LGA.

Chairman, Crises Management Committee, Mbume blocs of clans in Etung LGAS (Cocoa Host Communities), Ntufam Odu Ndep Moses, made this known in an interview with LEADERSHIP on Friday in Calabar, the State capital.

Ndep advised the administration of Governor Otu to make use of the remaining 3,137 hectares unallocated of land to avoid any crisis within the host communities.

“Statistics revealed that 1,415 hectares were allocated out of a total of approximately 4,552 hectares. Government can still make use of the remaining 3,137 hectares to avoid outbreak of crisis within the host communities.

“From what we gathered, it was from the allocation of the 1,414 hectares as a way to execute the court’s consent judgement by the past administration that up to N30million was lodged into state government’s account by the immediate-past administration,” he stated.

He said that findings from his committee showed that money collected from allocation of 1,415 hectares by the previous administration was used to defray 16-year-old royalties and debt, which state government owed cocoa land lord communities.

Ndep stated that the advice stemmed from the findings from investigation carried out by the six-man Crisis Management Committee.

Ndep averred that the allegations by Hon. Cosmos Ebori Nku-led Taskforce that allottees of cocoa plots from the previous administration encroached into farmlands was false.

“It is on record that the allottees paid required fees into the coffers of Cross River State Government before they were ushered to take possession of the allotted farms.

“The threat of eviction is based upon misinformation or ignorance and is potentially explosive. There have been more than enough blood-letting in Etung.

“We therefore urge restraint and strongly advise against any measure that may result to violent clashes, to say the least,” he stressed.

Mbume blocs of clans made up of Abia, Bendeghe Ekiem and Etomi in Etung LGA of the State stated that it was due to debt owed the cocoa landlord communities that prompted the host communities to drag the state government under former Governor Liyel Imoke to court in suit No: HE/16/2013.

The monarchs, therefore, urged Governor Otu to continue to make use of the smartgov platform for payment of royalties and rents to cocoa landlord communities.