Planned Privatization of Cocoa Estates: Youth Body Slams Agric Commissioner, Says Move Callous, Politically Insensitive
By Our Reporter
Tempers have continued to flare in Etung Local Government Area as hundreds of youths under the banner of the Bendeghe-Ekiem Youth Coalition, also known as the Defendable Force, on Wednesday, took to the streets in protest against the proposed privatization of Cross River State Government-owned cocoa estates in Etung Local Government Area.
The protesters described the idea, allegedly championed by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo, as “provocative, unconscionable, and an affront to the economic survival of the people of Etung.”
Wielding placards and chanting solidarity songs, the aggrieved youths marched through major streets of Bendeghe-Ekiem community, vowing to resist what they termed “an organized ploy to hijack the economic backbone of the region and hand it over to private interests.”
Speaking during the protest, a prominent youth leader, Mr. Zeal Agbor, lashed out at the Agriculture Commissioner, describing his proposal to privatize the cocoa estates as “a betrayal of public trust” and diametrically opposed to Governor Bassey Otu’s “People First” agenda.
“It is shocking and provocative that a son of Cross River would propose something so heartless. Our cocoa estates are not for sale. They are our lifeline, our inheritance. This plan is an assault on Etung youths and we reject it in totality,” Agbor declared.
Another youth leader, Mr. Bright Bassey, questioned the Commissioner’s sincerity, accusing him of double standards.
“While Mr. Ebokpo is aggressively developing cocoa plantations using land banks in Obubra, he turns around to advise the government to sell off the cocoa estates in Etung. Why the double standard?” Bassey queried.
He added that the timing of the proposal smacks of political recklessness and could ignite unrest, especially as the build-up to the 2027 elections gathers momentum.
“This is politically insensitive and a dangerous miscalculation. Etung and Ikom are the economic lungs of Cross River State through cocoa production. Attempting to hand over our heritage to faceless consortia or expatriates is not just wicked; it is suicidal,” Bassey fumed.
The protesters warned that the people of Etung would not allow the estates to be “monopolized by a few connected individuals under the guise of privatization.” They said the estates were communal legacies, cultivated and maintained by generations of hardworking farmers from the area.
They also issued a two-week ultimatum to the Commissioner to retract what they called a “heinous plan” or face mounting resistance across the region.
“Let it be clear that we, the Bendeghe-Ekiem Youth Coalition, in solidarity with the people of Etung, will never permit the auctioning of our collective patrimony to any foreign or private interests. Mr. Ebokpo must withdraw this ill-fated idea within two weeks or risk losing whatever political future he imagines for Obubra/Etung federal constituency,” a statement issued by the coalition read.
Amid the escalating protest, the Etung people have also called on Governor Bassey Otu to distance himself from the controversial proposal and immediately terminate the planned privatization, insisting that such a move runs counter to his widely admired pedigree as a people-centred leader.
“Your Excellency, Governor Otu, we believe in your vision and voted for your People First agenda. This idea is not in your character. We urge you to ignore this misdirection and reaffirm your commitment to protecting the economic rights of the Etung people,” the group declared.
The protest comes amid rising tension and growing public outcry across the cocoa belt of Etung, with farmers, traditional rulers, and civil society groups aligning with the call to resist the privatization move.
Many fear that the move, if not immediately halted, could deepen poverty, displace thousands of farmers, and ignite a new wave of agitation in the region.
“A stitch in time saves nine,” the protesters chanted repeatedly, vowing to protect the estates as part of their ancestral identity and economic survival.
In the midst of these outcries against privatization of the cocoa estates, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo, has maintained that the government would review the situation and prevail on what is best for the state and its people.
