People of Etomi in Etung LGA of Cross River State have protested the plan by the government to privatise a cocoa estate in their community.

Among the protesters were aged cocoa farmers, as well as youths involved in the cocoa value chains.

Some of the placards bore different inscriptions including, “Our cocoa estate is not for sale”, “We say no to privatization of our cocoa estate”, “Don’t deprive us of our rights”, “We won’t accept privatization of our estate”, among other messages.

The protesters demanded reversal of the government’s plan to privatize the estate, saying it will hurt them much.

Answering questions from journalists over the protest, a community leader, Mr. Mbek Agbor -Tangban, reminded the government about the agreement they entered into with them.

He cautioned against deviating from the agreement, which was the reason their forebears donated the cocoa estate.

He said, “Government ought to have consulted us as the landlord community, given the expanse of land we donated for the estate.

“We are reacting to the government’s publication in the Nigerian Chronicles dated June 25, 2025, that the Privatization Council is set to receive bids for the privatization of our estate without our knowledge.

“This intent to privatise the estate is without regard to earlier agreement with our grandparents. We should have been the first people the government ought to have consulted.

“The agreement is very clear, that if the government wants to privatize or sublet, they ought to consult first with the landlords.”

The community insisted that they ought to be the first bidder, adding that in a situation where they were unable to bid, they could then advertise as stated in the agreement.

Speaking similarly, Ntunkai Mary- Ndum, the women leader of Etomi Community maintained that if the state government was no longer interested in the smallholders farmers scheme, they should visit the estate and pull off their cocoa stems and leave their land.

In his comment, Abang Shikina- Oji, a youth leader, said that the planned privatization is likely to put the host community at a disadvantaged position.

He called on the state government to have a rethink.

The estate is one of several plantations established in the late 1950s by former premier of the then Eastern region, Michael Okpara.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo said that the government will definitely not do anything that undermines the interest of the people.

“The governor will assuage whatever concerns the people have. As I speak, he is ready to review anything that causes his people pain,” he said in reaction.