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C'River Community Women, Youths Issue 14 days Ultimatum To Agric Commissioner on Privatization

 


RICHARD NDOMA, Calabar 

The women and youths of Bendeghe Ekiem community in Etung local government  area in Cross River State have given the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo, a 14-day ultimatum to rescind on the planned privatization  of  government-controlled estate or be ready to see the women go necked to dance round the cocoa plantation.


The community Women and youths issued the threat during the Friday's  protest organized by the  community youths and women to express their displeasure over the issue.

In a separate interview on the issue, Bendeghe Ekiem community women leader Ntunkai Mary Obi, and the women chief, chief Helen Ogar, charged the commissioner to reach out to the leaders of  their community  to dialogue on the issue to enable them know the next line of action on the issue.

"Starting from today, We have given 2 weeks ultimatum to the commissioner  for Agriculture, to get back to us after this protest for us to dialogue otherwise We  will continue with the protest after two.

"If the commissioner failed to get back to us, we will do as our culture demands. In  our culture nobody comes to us, we will go to the estate necked, and walk round the estate before leaving it for the government to occupy.

Also speaking, Town council chairman, Mr. Etta Atu-Ojua, in company of the community  youth leader, comrade Tandu Kingsley, expressed their displeasure over the planned privatization of the estate, urging the Agric Commissioner  Mr.Johnson  Ebokpo, to make a U-turn on the decision  to privatise the  estate, so that he wont  plunge the  entire community into criminality.

"We have instances where our youths took to crime, committing all manner of crimes, until God decided to touch their hearts as a result of the functional estate.

"We knew what our community went through in the hands of youths. Unless the commissioner wants to tell us that he is seeking for avenue to send our youths to prison.

"Like the saying goes an idle man's heart is a workshop for the devil. The plantation is like an industry that engages our young men. Can't you see how energetic that they are "?  He questioned.

The community youths vowed to continue with the protest should the commissioner failed to give a listening ear to their cry. 

"The land is ours . Cocoa is theirs, we are ready to allow the commissioner to pull off their  cocoa trees and take them away, so that we can have access to oir land to re-plant our own stems. Cocoa is our oil. Cocoa is our goal nobody can take it away from us.". The duo maintained.

They warned that the decision would plunge the community into criminality and urged the commissioner to have re- consider that decision.

The community demands that the government rescind the decision to privatize the cocoa estate, engage in dialogue with the community stakeholders, allow the community to take back their land if the government is no longer interested in managing the estate.

The community youths vowed to continue the protest if their demands are not met, emphasizing that the land belongs to them and they are willing to take it back

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