Court stops Cross River govt from selling cocoa farms

In the suit no: HE/16/2013, involving the state government and Hon. Ata Ibi Tangban, AIG. Njangbor Egbe Njom (RTD), Ntufam Benjamin Asu Ndem, Mr. Henry Okorn Okorn, Mr. Eugine Achima Ntui, Mr. Paul Manyo, Mr. Mbek Abgor, all from Etung Local Government Area, the presiding judge, Hon. Justice M. O Eneji, said the court has […]

In the suit no: HE/16/2013, involving the state government and Hon. Ata Ibi Tangban, AIG. Njangbor Egbe Njom (RTD), Ntufam Benjamin Asu Ndem, Mr. Henry Okorn Okorn, Mr. Eugine Achima Ntui, Mr. Paul Manyo, Mr. Mbek Abgor, all from Etung Local Government Area, the presiding judge, Hon. Justice M. O Eneji, said the court has restrained both parties pending when they would have amicably resolved the case out of court or when the court shall determine the substantive action.
“And consequent upon the ruling by the court that the claimants and applicants motions possess merit and thereby granting the same; that the defendants are hereby restrained either by themselves, agents, servants, privies, assignees or successors, from further taking step towards privatising Abia/Bendeghe cocoa estate, Abonita cocoa estate and Cross River State cocoa project, all lying and situated at Etung Local Government Area, pending when the parties have amicably resolved this case out of court or in the alternative, pending when the court shall determine the substantive action.
The state government’s privatisation chairman, Barr Atta Ochinke, who is also the attorney general and commissioner for justice could not be reached for comments but at an earlier meeting he had with the cocoa stakeholders at Jorany Hotel in Calabar, he had said that the government has positive intention which would be beneficial to the people.
But the Etung cocoa farmers and elders had rejected the privatisation of the cocoa estates but adopted the small holder scheme on cocoa estates.
A youth leader, Ekuri Amba, said government’s plan to privatise would cause the youth to engage in nefarious activities and would bring down the state’s developmental works.
“If these lands are taken away from us we will carry guns and knives and go about the streets or ‘Boko  Haram’ will come down to Etung  but we don’t want that to return to Etung land that is why we are saying no to privatisation,” he stressed.
The women leader, Lady Mary Asu Mbe, said “God knows why he has given us this land.  It is our silver and gold.  We have no other thing. All our resources come from this land, because if you do not have a land you cannot plant cocoa, you cannot plant any fruit.”