Ayade’s Aide Tackles Lawmaker Over Call To Stop Cocoa Farm Allocation

Ofuka kicked against the call while answering questions from journalists over statements allegedly made by the lawmaker on the floor of the House.

He said allocation of cocoa estate to contractors would help to clear all the backlogs of arrears of rent/royalties owed the cocoa landlord communities in Etung LGA of Cross River State.

Ofuka said with SMARTGOV platform introduced by the state government, money paid for cocoa plots is split into three parts, adding that 49.5 percent goes into the bank account of  landlord communities, 40.5% goes to the Cross River State internal Revenue Service IRS’s account  whereas 10% goes to Dept. of Cocoa Dev. and Control’s account.

The lawmaker had told the state House of Assembly to bar Ofuka from  further allocation of cocoa plots in the state government owned cocoa estates to contractors.

He said the administration of Prof. Ben Ayade is winding to an end and that on no grounds should the administration allocate farms any longer  to contractors given the fact that  already existing  agreements and  allocations are still running.

Reacting, Ofuka stated  that there is  nothing wrong with  the lawmakernvitung him to explain before barring him from further  allocation being carried out by the state government as part of the avenue to execute  court judgement.

Ofuka stated that the allocation would  enable the landlord communities get their royalties before and after Ayade’s administration elapses,  adding that as an appointee  of  state government, he holds the state lawmakers in a very high esteem.

“My first statement is that I did not believe such statement came from a lawmaker representing the good people of Etung State Constituency.

“However, having read the statement in the media, there is need to set the record straight.

“Firstly, that the Etung  Cocoa Landlord Communities are the  beneficiaries of the estate in question under the Prof Ben Ayade-led administration.

“Except for the  few selfish ones who had been out to frustrate the good intention of the state governor, who had been working so tirelessly  to  end all crises in  cocoa sector in the state,” he said.

While explaining the benefits of further allocation of hectares of cocoa plots  to contractors, Ofuka stated that the allocation would “Settle all new rents/royalties at the agreed new rates, prompt settlement of all future rents/royalties, rehabilitation of ailing portions of the estate, permanently put to an end litigation associated with the estate.”

A report was all over social media that a motion  of urgent  public importance was moved drawing the attention of the House to what the lawmaker  described as unwholesome activities of Special Adviser SA to governor Ben Ayade on cocoa Development and Control.

In the course of moving the motion, Mbu-Ogar charged Ofuka to stop forthwith the sale/allocation of the State’s Cocoa Estates for additional 6 years which Ofuka said would help in bringing down the tension in the cocoa sector should he be allowed to go ahead with the allocation.