₦airaland Forum

C'River's farmers inaugurates committe to enforce court ruling

Cocoa farmers in Cross River have inaugurated committee to enforce court ruling that restrained the State government from evicting allottees from their cocoa farms.

The committee was inaugurated by Mba Ukweni, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Chief Executive Ukweni Chambers in Calabar on Tuesday.

He described the committee as "Team Obey Court Order," noting that they are meant to safeguard cocoa farmers' right and bring back sanity to the government cocoa estate in Etung local government area of Cross River.

Ukweni urged the team to sensitise and enlighten farmers on the need to respect the court order.

Ukweni, counsel to allottees stated that the court had passed an interlocutory injunction in favour of the allottees, restraining the state government and its agents from evicting them from their legitimate cocoa farms.

He said that government cannot forcefully evict the allottees from their farmlands after collecting money from them to settle royalties owed to cocoa landlords' communities for about 16 years.

He urged the team to discharge their duties peacefully without violence and report anyone disobeying the court order to the appropriate authorities.

"Your activities have to be peaceful and orderly. Don't resort to violence," he said.

Ukweni read the terms of reference guiding the taskforce's operations, which include placing affected cocoa farms under surveillance, identifying offenders, and bringing them to justice.

The committee is expected to encourage farmers and other beneficiaries to possess their farmlands in line with the agreement they entered into with the government.

Meanwhile, defaulters of the court order have been served with forms 48 and 49, warning them of impending consequences.

Ukweni maintained that the government can not go against an agreement it entered into with the allottees, and that the court order must be obeyed.

"Court made an order restraining the government from evicting beneficiaries, and we set up this team 'Obey Court Order' to ensure compliance," he said.