Some youths of Etomi ward and by extension other wards like Abia and Efraya have continued to express dissatisfaction on the recent sharing of Cocoa estate thereby calling out the committee as unfair in the process as there called on appropriate quarters to see to their plea to avert futher disruptive measures.
The youths who have insisted to remain in protest until consideration is giving to their request are mostly from Etomi while some youths in Abia and Efraya have in some quarter allege a shared fate.
“About the Cocoa allocation to Etome the biggest contributor of land.
Firstly , this protest has nothing to do with the state Government. HE Prince Otu did well to appoint our son into the cocoa committee . Our problem is our sons that removed the authentic member of committee with the help of the Chairman Cosmas Nku, assumed duty illegally as member of committee and stole many Blocks of Cocoa meant for our community.
When you compare and contrast OSCAR allocation and COSMAS allocation, You will see the following different
(1).600 hectares given to Etome during Oscar and a little over 400 hectares during COSMAS.
(2)Where is the balance of about 180 hectares (22 blocks of cocoa farms for etome). Can it be produced.
(3). About 120 etome indigenes had 2 hectares, 30 had 4 hectares of cocoa each during Oscar. Compare this with what you have today under COSMAS.
(4.) Etome Cocoa leaders should provide a spread to the names of People let’s see if families ties did not show in allocated plots. Can there do this to remove their selves from blame. From those who benefit we have seen a trend towards family and blood relationship and marriage/in-laws. Some families no single person. Some families only one person and only one hectares given.
(5)
Our so call political leaders who championed this abnormally for their selfish interests know what they have done cannot be hidden, statistics will show. If they doubt they should arrange a town hall meeting to come and face Etome People and present their account.
Finally and fundamentally, those people calling the protest self seeking have forgotten that our Chiefs had proteste to Calabar where they met with the Special Adviser to the Governor , Barr Gilbert Agbor and the SSG Prof Owan Eno on the same issue.
They came back and waited for two weeks without any response.
How come the Etomi representative in the cocoa committee was not allowed to do his job. Who shared Etomi Cocoa?
Are those who shared the Cocoa members of the committee?
The Governor appointmented someone to represent Etomi in the Cocoa Committee. Strangely and callously, a different person assumed the position and shared the cocoa to himself ,family, inlaws, associates and merchants.
That is the reason Etomi Youths, Chiefs and women have no cocoa.
[ Etomi Community are triple landlord in the Cocoa Estates.
Owning about 85% of the total land that is developed in ICE . Also landlord of the Forest Reserve North where part of the land is developed with Cocoa, which is Abonita Cocoa Estate and Cross River Forest and Cocoa Project.
ETOMI LAND PLANTED WITH COCOA AS USED FOR THE CURRENT COCOA ALLOCATION: ICE 1412ha OUR 70% = 988.4ha. CRF&CP 929ha 70%=650.3. Abonita 307ha 70%=108. Therefore 650.3+108=758.3 divided by six landlord Communities that own the Reserve we have 143ha each. If you add form Reserve which is 143ha+988ha from ICE=1131ha that is what is expected for Etomi Community. NO LESS.
NOTE: Landlord’s of the Forest Reserve North are 1. Etomi 2. Agbokim W/Falls 3. Ekugatia 4. Ajassor 5. Effraya 6. Ekimaya. Landlords of Ikom Cocoa Estate ICE are only Etomi and Agbokim Waterfalls
With written agreements with Government.
Please for the records, who did the government appoint as member of the cocoa committee from Etomi ?
Who did the sharing and why ?
Please our loyalty is to HE Prince Bassey Otu. We are not protesting against his Government. We only want Government to look into the Cocoa Fraud and bring them to book.
For now, the protest will continue until our Chiefs, women and youths are treated fairly” the above was mkpe Ojong the support leader of the protest giving statistics of greviances.
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