C’River: Abia community joins cocoa estate privatization revolt

Barely 48 hours after residents of Etomi community in Etung Local Government Area protested against the planned privatization of the government-owned Cocoa Estate, indigenes of Abia community have joined the resistance, staging their own demonstration to demand a reversal of the policy.

The protesters, armed with placards bearing inscriptions like “Our Estate Isn’t for Sale” and “Give Us Our Land Back If You’re Tired of Managing It”, voiced their grievances over the state government’s decision, which they say threatens their livelihood and violates earlier agreements with the community.

Highlighting poor access roads, inadequate learning facilities, and high youth unemployment, the protesters argued that privatization would exacerbate their plight rather than address the pressing needs of their community.

An opinion leader, Elder Patrick Ndifon, who led the protest, insisted that privatization was never part of the original agreement between the government and Abia community when the land was donated for cocoa cultivation.

“Privatization is not in the provisions of the agreement. Our fear is that we no longer have enough farmland. We believed the government would fully utilize the 34 years granted to them. But now, they’re taking steps that threaten our survival,” Ndifon said. “We demand that the government withdraws its statement and rethinks this plan. We are firmly opposed to it.”

Mrs. Beatrice Tawo, the community’s women leader, echoed similar sentiments, urging the government to relinquish control of the estate if it can no longer manage it effectively.

“You promised us opportunities for our youths and women in managerial roles, but nothing has been fulfilled. Now you want to privatize? That is unacceptable,” she said.

Youth leader Comrade Lawrence Ntui lamented the government’s failure to provide basic infrastructure, stressing that privatizing the estate would strip young people of one of the few sources of employment in the area.

“The absence of access roads, electricity, and good schools has been our reality for years. Instead of selling off our cocoa farms, the government should focus on fulfilling its promises and improving living conditions,” Ntui stated.

The Abia community’s protest adds momentum to the growing backlash against the privatization move, which many fear will marginalize local farmers and deepen rural poverty.

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