By: Florence Kanu, Calabar
Stakeholders and the Akamkpa communities have signed an agreement to revive the 12,400 hectares of the Ayip Eku palm estate in Cross River state.
It would be recalled that the disputed had been laying fallow over disagreement of ownership.
The agreement was reached recently in Calabar when the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development Mr. Johnson Ebokpo met with stakeholders as well as host communities, Ikwo, Abun, Okarara, Ako and Nundebiyi, communities to resolve the long standing impasse.
Also present at the meeting were the Police DSS, House of Assembly, Akamkpa Council Chairman, Wingsong M. House Palm Oil Investment Limited who promised to end the long standing 10 years dispute.
According to Mr. Ebokpo the Palm Estate was established in 1976 at Akamkpa and was privatized during President Olusegun Obansajo’s led administration for agricultural pursuit.
Ebokpo, who confirmed that the institution responsible for the disposable of assets was Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), saddled with the responsibility for the creation of law which gave Wingsong operational right to operate and develop the estate.
He disclosed that the estate privatized in 2007 and given to Wingsong in 2009 was inaccessible from 2013-2023 due to disputes and disagreement with host communities in which the Senator Bassey Otu’s administration set in to broker peace among them.
In a letter presented in March 2025 by the Bureau of public enterprise read by the Permanent Secretary Ntufam Ekpe Bassey confirmed Wingsong ownership, and compensation paid for the land, economic trees and land since 2008.
Ebokpo advised that the estate must remain strictly agricultural under the watch of Police and DSS, “warning that communities should not be exploited”.
Speaking, a Community Leader Ntufam Innocent Ntuyang urged Wingsong to develop the land rather than allow it lie fallow, utilize and live up to expectation to avoid revocation.
Also, the youth leader, Hon.Adolf Majini who was quoted as saying “our youths needs jobs this deal, must deliver”.
At the end of the meeting, stakeholders issued a communique to resolve the ten years disputes.
Wingsong was confirmed by the Bureau of Public Enterprise as the legitimate owner, 95% shares and will access the estate within 30 days.
A five years phased development plan to be submitted to the state government with a space of two months.
The communique further stated that the company must carry the people along and deliver cooperate social responsibility projects such as electricity, roads and education to the people.
