by crossriverwatch admin
A private agriculture firm, Biase Plantations Limited, and the Cross River State government have issued cheques worth over N57 million to landlords in Uwet in Akamkpa Local Government Area and those of Atan Odot 
and Ikot Eyidok in Odukpani local government areas as compensation for loss of their lands which are now being cultivated for agricultural purposes.
The cheques were presented as compensation for crops and un-exhausted interests and improvements on the land by Commissioner for Land and Housing, Surveyor Ralph Uche, as a result of the establishment of Oil Palm Plantations by Biase Plantations Limited under Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) in Agriculture.
Chief Celestine A. I. Asiya on behalf of the Uwet community received a cheque for N38,102, 325.00; Edet N. Edet for Atan Odot got N9,929.00 while Chief Edet A. Edet, Ikot Eyidok family head received cheques valued at N4,721,921.00 and N5,294,350.00 for Ikot Eyidok I and II respectively.
Surveyor Uche thanked the chiefs and their subjects for keying into the state government’s vision of accelerating economic development by leasing out their land to an investor, Biase Plantations Limited.
He argued that the situation where the civil service is the largest organized employer of labor in the state was no longer acceptable in a basically agrarian area, adding that current emphasis is to utilize the vast land and high human resource to drive the state’s economic development.
He assured the landlords that as their communities have keyed into the state government’s agriculture policy, they would be tremendously transformed in their generation and that upcoming generations will be grateful for the foresight.
The firm was urged to fully discharge its Social Corporate Responsibility (SCR) as contained in the agreements with the communities.
It will be recalled that the a Civil Society Group, Rainforest Reserve and Development Center RFRDC has consistently accused Wilmer Nigeria Limited, the owners of Ibiae plantations of annexing the land they are now using for the oil palm plantation without following existing laws in the country.
Wilmer and officials of the Cross River State government have however continued to deny the allegation.
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