Rot In C'River Cocoa Estate As Host Communities Demand Probe Of Unpaid Royalties

By Ogbu Kosy

STAKEHOLDERS in Etung local government area and landlord communities of the Cross River State Cocoa Estate have called on the present administration to investigate the operations of the Cocoa Estate and unpaid several millions of Naira of royalties in the last four years.

The stakeholders are worried that even after the present administration led by Governor Bassey Otu had dissolved all boards and political appointees, the former Special Adviser on Cocoa Development and Control, Oscar Ofuka, is still parading himself in that regard and had allegedly continued cocoa allocation beyond the expiration of his appointment.

They maintain that Ofuka and former Governor Ayade had refused to pay them backlog of royalties to landlord communities, adding that the present administration needs to act fast to nip in the board the Cocoa Estate's activities and the alleged insults meted out on some elders of the community.

Over the years, the Cross River Cocoa Estates, predominantly located in Etung Local Government Area of the State, have been a great source of revenue generation for government and a means to an end to successful allotees through government allocation.

Cocoa production and merchandise had been the region's (Cross River central basin) mainstay and major economic driver since its introduction to the region in the 1800s. 

The estate's landlord communities have always received royalties for donating their land for government investment in cocoa in the area, while youths of the region have also been greater beneficiaries of the farms through a gentleman's agreement with government.

Although recent history has revealed government indebtedness in terms of royalties to landlord communities spanning from the administrations of Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke and most recently Ben Ayade, in spite of the huge revenue generated from such allocation.

But the intriguing thing here is, while the Ayade-led administration made billions through its Special Adviser, Cocoa Development and Control, Oscar Ofuka, from the estate by shoving allotees with the obnoxious policy of immediate payment for Cocoa plots for the four-year period before even entering the land, same administration was unable to pay royalties in 8 years of its lifespan.

Investigations revealed the Special Adviser on Cocoa Development and Control, Oscar Ofuka, had reneged on the gentleman's agreement of allocating a greater percentage of the Cocoa plots to youths of the landlord communities, at least to curb restiveness, foster meaningful engagements and accord them a means of livelihood. 

Cocoa plots were rather allocated to politicians, highly placed individuals and cronies of the 'Kakum hegemony,' while reserving the most viable portions to himself and family (most of which have been seized by angry youth within the landlord communities). 

Sources close to some of the host communities revealed that the much-talked about Cocoa regeneration in Osomba area of Akamkpa local government area, Obudu and other parts of the state were smokescreen, leading to host communities revoking whatever agreement it had with government and reclaimed its land after realising the alleged scam behind the Cocoa generation fiasco.

As if that was not enough, Ofuka, allegedly deceived the former deputy governor, Prof. Evara Esu, into signing documents enabling him to pursue through legal means to continue Cocoa allocation for another four years into the administration of Senator Bassey Otu, even against the House of Assembly injunctions.

The Beagle News gathered that the Cocoa Estate Board is the only board in the state with only Oscar Ofuka as the chairman with no board member as former Governor Ayade deliberately refused to appoint members just as he ran a man show with the board and the Estate to chagrin of the cocoa host communities.

Speaking exclusively to The Beagle News on the issues, the member representing Etung in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Kingsley Ntui Isong, said it is criminal and illegal for Ofuka's attempt to continue allocating cocoa plots beyond the lifespan of the past administration.

He said: "I want to implore the people of Etung and other cocoa businessmen and women to desist forthwith from illegally patronising Oscar Ofuka in regards to allocation of plots from Cross River State Cocoa Estate.

"Ofuka is perpetrating an illegal act, because in the first place, he held appointment in the immediate past administration of Sen. Ben Ayade, which ended on May, 29, 2023. The present administration of Sen. Bassey Otu has dissolved all existing boards, agencies and parastatals, therefore, Ofuka lacks the locus standi to continue parading himself as Special Adviser on Cocoa or doing anything pertaining to the State Cocoa Estate," the lawmaker stated.

Isong revealed that he had requested for the report from the Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong-led 9th Assembly Committee that investigate into the discrepancies in the Cocoa Estate.

The committee he noted had looked into some issues ranging from allocation percentages for landlord communities and others, as well as payment of backlog of royalties to landlord communities, assuring that the 10th Assembly is poised to providing lasting solution to anomalies bedeviling the Cross River State Cocoa Estate.

"I want to call on the state government to quickly constitute a new Cocoa Allocation Committee to commence work immediately, noting that with such committee, the public would immediately dissociate from the antics of Oscar Ofuka, knowing that his stint ended May 29, 2023.

"The committee should also work with the House of Assembly to investigate Oscar Ofuka and get him prosecuted. We will bring him to book for mismanaging money meant for the Etung people. We will ensure that he faces the full wrath of the law," the legislator assured.

When asked about Ofuka's alleged claims to have paid royalties to landlord communities, Isong responded that a probe would be done to ascertain the truth or falsity of such claim, saying "I know the channels through which money is supposed to be paid to landlord communities," pointing out that "You cannot pay any money without the involvement of the Ministry of Agriculture which oversees the affairs of the cocoa resources in the State."

Continuing, he said: "The majority of stakeholders in the landlord communities are certainly not aware of any payments on royalties, insisting that should payments be made, the Agric Ministry ought to have invited stakeholders of the landlord communities, present cheque to them in the full glare of the people, and not the other way round."

Also speaking, the immediate past member of the House of Assembly, representing Etung State Constituency, Hon. Chris Njah Mbu-Ogar, posited that "every right-thinking member of the society understands that once a government elapses, it does so with every other person it appointed, whether commissioner, special adviser, director general, etc, reminding the public that the recent dissolution of all boards applies to the management of the State Cocoa Estate, too."

"The idea of Ofuka collecting money from people and issuing forms in the pretext of allocating cocoa plots for another six years is, for me, the height of greed. I believe that governor Otu is a forthright person and will deal with any form of criminality. 

"I like the way he has started his governance strategy and policy thrust. I know he will rise to the occasion. I call on him to rise to the occasion and treat such illegality accordingly.

"Etung people who are the landlords of the cocoa estate are ready to cast out a man who would not want peace to reign in the local government area. So, if he (Ofuka) has pitched himself against the people, the Etung people would also rise against him," Hon. Mbu-Ogar remarked.

The Nsofang-born politician admonished Ofuka to retract and get back to his senses by "understanding that what he is doing is illegality ab initio," while hoping that the Governor constitutes a committee to oversee the allocation of plots and management of the Cocoa Estate.

He called on the people to be patient with the governor while the stakeholders ensure that he puts together a formidable and responsible team to administer the estate, assuring that "we would not fold our arms and allow our patrimony and common heritage to be shortchanged."

He implores his successor at the hallowed chambers to rise up and move motions of urgent public importance, because Ofuka's activities in the estate, according to him, are criminal.

Another speaker, Sunday Kalu, a Cocoa merchant and resident of Bendeghe-Ekiem community, lamented the disorderly disposition of the Ofuka-led cocoa estate management, citing racketeering, duplication of allocation documents and double standards as some of the challenges plaguing the estate and by extension cocoa business in Etung and neighbouring LGAs.

A community leader, Agbor Agbor, said the present administration should probe the hundreds of millions of Naira generated in eight years of the Ayade-led administration from cocoa estate, adding that if Ofuka thought he did so well, he should have allowed the next government to reward his excellence with either reappointment or elevation to a higher position.

 This unjust pursuit of court orders to continue to enrich the rich and inflict poverty on the masses is what Governor Otu must confront frontally by terminating outright whatever involvement Ofuka has remaining in the State Cocoa Estates by immediately appoint a new committee to oversee Cocoa allocation and control of government Cocoa Estates. 

According to Agbor, there is apparent disquiet and insinuations, especially from the youths, over Ofuka's continued interference in the State's Cocoa Estate, in spite of his appointment ending on May 29, 2023, insisting that if this anomaly remains unchecked, then a crisis is imminent.

The present administration must continue to keep the volatile restiveness of youth at bay. Governor Otu must rise up to this challenge, as he is already doing to other areas, to allay youth's fears and aggression and put an end to Ofuka's continued insult to his administration.