- As allottees raise alarm over ‘powerful interest’
BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – Amid avalanche of claims and counter claims, the Cross River Cocoa Estates, located within the Central senatorial district of the State, is reportedly embroiled in crisis of confidence, blackmail and deceit that are being orchestrated by certain ‘powerful interest” and groups.
Consequently, this development has now put a wedge in the State government’s efforts at streamlining the management of what many stakeholders described as “money-spinning and booming business in the state.
Forefront News gathered that at the centre of the crisis is the alleged presence of security personnel in the estates, with some allottees claiming that powerful individuals and interest groups are stage-managing the arrangement to intimidate and harass them for no just cause.
Also pointing accusing fingers at certain top government functionaries for being in cohort with the interest groups, the aggrieved allottees, who do not want their names in print for now, alleged that the security personnel are deployed in a manner whereby they are deprived access to their businesses and cheated out of the accruing financial gains.
However, debunking the allegations that security agents now occupy the vast estates, one of the Cocoa farmers, Mr Mbu Liku, who spoke to Forefront News, claimed that those peddling such unfounded rumours are the ones involved in shady deals against the collective interests and wishes of the majority of allottees.
Mr Liku said with Cocoa currently in high demand by beverage manufacturing companies, the estates have witnessed the influx of both genuine and dubious marketers, and stories of such nature are bound to emanate just to distract public attention from their nefarious activities.
He queried how possible it would be for the so-called security agents to storm and operate within the estates without proper engagement and due authorization by the appropriate authorities.
The farmer also claimed that at some point he was equally falsely accused of employing the services of soldiers to intimidate and harass his fellow allottees, insisting that such blackmail tactics are always deployed against those bent on ensuring the cocoa business is managed according to existing government rules and procedures.
According to Mr Liku, with a ton of Cocoa going for over N800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) at current market rate, it is expected that such unfounded stories would always come up to tarnish the image of genuine farmers whose interest is to ensure the business is properly managed for the overall interest of all the allottees.
Recalled that the Cross River State Government had in June 2024 initiated plans to establish six new Cocoa farm estates in six Local Government Areas of the State.
To kick-start the process, the government engaged stakeholders on land acquisition to establish the estates in Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Bekwara, Odukpani, Obubra, and Ikom Local Government Areas
However, despite the consistent critical stakeholders’ engagements, driven by the State Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, there seems to be an intractable crisis plaguing the Estates’ management and operations across the State.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders, under the auspices of both the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) and the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN), Cross River State chapters, have pleaded with Governor Bassey Otu to order an immediate investigation into the crisis to nib it in the bud and whip any erring party into line.
