By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Cocoa contractors who invested their money on cocoa farms at the Cross River State Government Cocoa Estate, in Etung Local Government Area of the state have expressed displeasure at new cocoa allocation policy made some days ago by the Cross River State government, alleging that the policy would dwindle the fortunes of those in the cocoa value chain.
The contractors expressed their displeasure yesterday during a conversation with our correspondent days after the inauguration of the new Cocoa Allocation Committee by the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Crops and Irrigation, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo Jr.
The groaning followed the setting up of new allocation committee, which terms of reference some stakeholders in the cocoa sector claimed was at variance with the already enforced consent judgement between the cocoa landlord communities and the state government.
The landlords had some years ago dragged the state government to court over its indebtedness of rents and royalties owed them by the state government for over a decade, and the High Court ordered the state government to defray the indebtedness via the smart-gov platform.
The landlord communities however, secured a consent judgement in suit No. HE/16/2013 and the High Court ordered that the indebtedness be defrayed by the state government through the smart-gov platform account in line with the consent judgement.
To ensure that all matter relating to payment of debt owed the landlord communities are laid to rest, the state government opted for and approved the lease of six years, whereby small holders farmers, in line with the executed High Court judgement dated August 13, 2021 with the representative (attorneys) of landlord communities be fully executed.
The immediate past administration, however, in it’s wisdom allocated 1,415 hectares of cocoa farmlands to farmers, leaving out a total of 3,137 hectares to be allocated by the present administration with landlords communities having seventy per cent allocation.
Speaking on behalf of the cocoa contractors, a cocoa contractor and an investor in the cocoa value chain, Mr. Odu John, said, “I feel so surprised that government can make such a hasty decision on allocation of cocoa farms without considering giving us the privilege to make input in this matter.”
Another investor, Iyadim Iyadim, in his argument said that governent is continum, advocating for a committee to be set up by the Cross River State government to investigate if those who invested in the cocoa value chain actually paid money into state government account or the account of private individuals.
He said, “I call on the state governent to first of all find out if due process was actually followed by the previous administration with regards to payment of allocation fee. If yes, governent should allow the old arrangements to thrive.
“If yes, government should please honour the previous arrangement rather than hastily taking a decision that can create disharmony in the state.
“If they did not pay, the committee can revoke the cocoa plots, but where it is discovered that money was paid into the coffers of governent, they should be allowed to continue.”
Also speaking, the Secretary, Cocoa Landlord Communities Committee, Chief Asu Ndep, said, “All these new policies made by the state government are completely out of context. Because its directly trying to disrupt the smart.gov platform that assisted us to claim the debt state government was owing the cocoa landlord communities
“We are conversant with a template which was secured after we took governent to court and we got court ruling in our favour.
“Governent couldn’t have set up a new allocation committee without giving the landlord committee the privilege to fix in two of our members to represent us.
“For any allocation committee to be set up, landlord communities must have two of it’s members as representatives.”
While lauding Ayade’s administration for clearing backlogs of arrears of royalties, Ndep said, “We commend the previous administration for making sure that backlogs of arreas of rent/royalties are paid through the smart.gov platform.
“Landlord communities cannot accept any payment that is not done through the smart-gov platform.
“The immediate past administration succeeded in paying up to N37 million; out of the said amount, landlord communities got N12.5 million.”
The investors called on the Goernor Bassey Otu administration to have a rethink and allow payment of contract money into the coffers of state government through the smart-gov platform, so that cocoa landlord communities can as well have their share of money that come to them as royalties.
The investors urged the state government not to breach the two consent judgements which had been enforced, so as not to expose the community to chaotic situation.
Effort to get the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Ebokpo Jr. to speak on the issue failed as the commissioner declined picking his calls neither did he replied the text messages sent to him.
