A new taskforce, aptly named “Team Obey Court Order,” has been officially launched with the crucial mission of safeguarding the rights of cocoa farmers at the Government Cocoa Estate in the Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State.
This team is specifically tasked with ensuring adherence to court rulings that prevent the state government from evicting allottees from their cocoa farms within the estate.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mba Ukweni, who presided over the inauguration of the taskforce, emphasized that its primary objective is to enforce compliance with existing court orders and to restore stability within the cocoa estate.
Ukweni, who serves as counsel to the allottees, highlighted that a court had previously issued an interlocutory injunction. This injunction legally restrains the state government and its representatives from removing farmers from their lawfully assigned cocoa farms.
He argued that the government cannot legally displace these farmers, especially after having collected funds from them to settle royalties owed to the host cocoa-producing communities for approximately 16 years.
He urged the members of the taskforce to concentrate their efforts on educating both farmers and other stakeholders about the imperative of respecting the court order.
Ukweni also issued a stern caution to the team, advising them to conduct their duties peacefully and to strictly avoid any form of violence.
“Your activities must be peaceful and orderly. Do not resort to violence. Anyone disobeying the court order should be reported to the appropriate authorities,” he stated.
He further detailed the taskforce’s terms of reference, which include monitoring the affected cocoa farms, identifying any violators, and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.
Meanwhile, individuals who have been accused of contravening the court order have been served with Forms 48 and 49, which serve as formal warnings about the legal repercussions of non-compliance.
Ukweni firmly maintained that the state government is obligated to honor the agreement it made with the allottees and to fully comply with the prevailing court order.
