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We will walk round naked, if…. —Cross River women

We will walk round naked, if…. —Cross River women

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By Onwa Ekor

 

Women in Bendeghe Ekiem community, Etung local government area of Cross River, have vowed to go nude around the cocoa estates in their community, if the state government goes ahead with its planned privatization exercise.

The women alongside youths of the area, issued the threat during a recent protest expressing their displeasure over the privatization of the government controlled cocoa estate, in the area.

They further issued the Cross River Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation, Hon Johnson Ebokpo, two weeks to rescind the planned decision.

In separate interviews, Women leader of the community, Ntunkai Mary Obi and the Women chief, Chief Helen Ogar, warned, “If the commissioner fails 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 naked, walk round the estate before leaving it for the government to occupy.”

The duo further enjoined the commissioner to reach out to the leaders of their community for dialogue on the issue, to enable them know the next line of action.

Continuing, they disclosed that, “starting from today, we have given two weeks ultimatum to the Commissioner for Agriculture, to get back to us for dialogue, otherwise we will continue with the protest.”

Town council chairman of the area, Mr. Etta Atu-Ojua, in company of the community youth leader, Comrade Tandu Kingsley, expressed worries over the planned privatization of the estate, urging the Commissioner not to carry out such decision, as it could trigger chaos in the area

“We had instances in the past where our youths took to crime and committing all manner of vices, 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 prior to this time, so, except the Commissioner wants to tell us that he is seeking for avenue to send our youths to prison.

“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 they are?” Atu-Ojua, rhetorically asked.

A cross section of youths also added, “the land is ours, cocoa is theirs, we are ready to allow the commissioner pull off their cocoa trees and take them away, so that we can have access to our land to re-plant our own stems.

“Cocoa is our oil. Cocoa is our goal and nobody can take it away from us.”

They called on government to rescind its decision to privatize the cocoa estate, rather engage in dialogue with the community stakeholders, allow the community to take back its land, especially if government is no longer interested in managing the estate, as the community is willing and ready to take its land back.

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