Joseph Odok|17 June 2017
Preamble
I bleed with tears on reading about the crisis fermenting in the struggles for the control of the Borum Palm Estate. There is impending communal crisis that may soon be taking lives of gullible Boki youths because of poor handling of issues in the Boki Palm Estate located at Borum by both the government of Cross River State and his political appointees
About last month, poor handling of the issues by both the government of Cross River State and his political appointees from Boki led to the shooting of two women leaving one dead. Last week there was a show of guns with some gangs rumoured to be operating with security outfits blockading themselves at Bafin Etimtim, Boki Local Government Area. Hoodlums were allegedly seen with sophisticated guns shooting in the air in display of strength and an ownership of dangerous weapons. Just about two days ago, one Martin Osang, loyal to the SA to the governor who has been given control of the Borum Palm Estate was kidnapped by some hoodlums. Not ending at the kidnap, the boys proceeded to the police Station and stormed the station and freed some of the men in police custody and in the process making away with a riffle belonging to the Nigerian police.
The Problematic
For record purpose, the crisis of the borum Palm Estate is largely a result of the new found gold in Boki. The interest in Borum Palm estate is allegedly struggled by those who want to garner money to fund their elections and become political leaders of Boki.
Prior to this time, political appointees of previous administrations had used the estate for personal gains and to build wealth around themselves, often in collaboration with the management of the palm estate and representatives of Land Lord communities in the plundering of the estate for personal gains and political powers. These class of appointees arrogated to each person as much as 35, 20, 15, 10 etc plots to an individual out of over 400 plots in the palm estate. Each representative of the land lord community is alleged to have been awarded 4 to 5 plots to seal their mouths over the injustice in the land.
While the official rate for leasing the estate is pegged at official government price of #45,000 per annum, these politicians rents each plots to their stooges at an amount as high as #300,000 without even remitting the government percentage to the Cross River State government. With much monies got from the estate, the politicians built an army of militants from different cult groups and provided guns to protect their new illegally acquired gold.
Management failure
On assumption in office, SA infrastructure Hon MacTommy Agan investigated the level of injustice and reported same to the government. In the process he promised more monies to government when given control of the Borum Palm estate. The government of Cross River State who is more interested in revenue generation than giving lasting solution to the problem surrounding the estate appointed Hon MacTommy Agan to manage the estate with promises of increased revenue to boast the Cross River State economy. While the government has taken steps to raise funds he is not concerned about the peace and security of Boki and negotiations for royalties for the land lord communities
True to fact Hon MacTommy Agan is not a good hand in managing the estate. He is not trusted and accepted because of his past acts that have created great distrust amongst the Boki people. This background of Hon MacTommy has created an army of legitimate and illegitimate agitations against him capable of fueling more future crisis that will most likely lead to a communal crisis if not nipped at the bud. Today there is both rational and irrational irritability capable of a time bomb in Boki
Amidst these crisis, the political appointees of the present government are in a struggle for leadership. They are in open castigation and blackmail of each other. Today the the Boki political appointees are the least respected in the present government. The loss of respect has created and inferiority complex that makes each gun for the position of political leadership to cover their ineptitude with so much noise with no cogent contribution to the Boki interest. I stand to caution those seeking leadership to stop the charade because leadership is earned not an award. We the Boki sons and daughters are watching the open sell off of the Boki interest for crumps from the current government.
Recommendations:
1. The government of Cross River State must as a matter of urgency expand the management of Boki estate beyond an individual to bring in more patriotic sons and daughters of Boki that will assure better management of the estate.
2. Set an investigative committee to investigate the remote cause of the crisis in Boki palm estate.
3. Strengthen security in Boki to avoid innocent lose of lives. A thorough search and recovery of illegally acquired guns will go a long way.
4. The government should listen to all sides of the story without taking sides.
5. The government should sure that the new management of the estate assure due payment of royalty that have not been paid to land lord communities over a long period of time. The government may also set mechanism for supervision of the use of this fund for the development of the land lord communities.
6. The government should begin a process of privatization of the estate, this is so because the palm estate is now old and mismanagement. A process of clearing up and replanting the estate with improved seedlings will pay the state more.
Joseph Odok
Social Change Agent
