WOMEN AND YOUTHS OF BENDEGHE EKIEM THREATEN NAKED PROTEST OVER COCOA ESTATE PRIVATIZATION IN CROSS RIVER. (PHOTO).

 Women and Youths of Bendeghe Ekiem Threaten Naked Protest Over Cocoa Estate Privatization in Cross River

Women and youths from the Bendeghe Ekiem community in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Johnson Ebokpo, to reverse the planned privatization of a government-controlled cocoa estate or face a naked protest. The threat was announced during a peaceful demonstration on Saturday, July 5, 2025, as the community expressed strong opposition to the proposed policy, citing concerns over loss of livelihoods and increased crime.

The protest, which saw residents carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our cocoa estate is not for sale” and “Give us our land back,” highlighted the community’s deep connection to the cocoa estate, a major source of employment and economic stability. Community women leader Ntunkai Obi and women’s chief Helen Ogar, speaking to journalists, demanded immediate dialogue with the government to address the issue. “Starting today, we have given the Commissioner for Agriculture two weeks to engage with our leaders. If our demands are ignored, we will march to the plantation and protest naked as our tradition allows,” Ogar stated, emphasizing the cultural significance of such a protest as a last resort to draw attention to their plight.

Town council chairman Etta Atu-Ojua, alongside youth leader Comrade Tandu Kingsley, voiced concerns that privatization could plunge the community into economic hardship and criminality. “Cocoa is our oil, our lifeline. Privatizing the estate risks pushing our youths back into crime, as it provides meaningful employment,” Atu-Ojua said. He further argued that the land belongs to the community, and if the government no longer wishes to manage the estate, it should be returned for locals to cultivate their own cocoa.

The Bendeghe Ekiem protest follows similar demonstrations in neighboring Etomi and Abia communities, where residents have also rejected the state’s privatization plans, accusing the government of breaching agreements made with their ancestors who donated the land for cocoa cultivation in the 1950s. The communities argue that the estates, established under former Eastern Region Premier Michael Okpara, were meant to benefit locals through employment and royalties, promises they claim have been largely unfulfilled.

In response, Commissioners for Agriculture Johnson Ebokpo and Information Dr. Erasmus Ekpang have called for calm, assuring residents that Governor Bassey Otu’s administration prioritizes the people’s welfare and will review the matter. “The governor will address all concerns and ensure no policy undermines the interests of our communities,” Ebokpo said. However, protesters remain skeptical, pointing to the lack of basic amenities like access roads, electricity, and schools, which they say the government has failed to provide despite the region’s significant contribution to Nigeria’s cocoa production.

Etung Local Government Area, a major cocoa-producing hub in Cross River State, has a history of tensions over cocoa estate management, with communities like Bendeghe Ekiem, Etomi, and Abia repeatedly raising issues of unpaid royalties and marginalization. The threat of a naked protest, a powerful cultural symbol, underscores the depth of the community’s frustration and determination to protect their heritage and livelihoods.

As the ultimatum counts down, residents have vowed to escalate their actions if the government does not engage in meaningful dialogue. The situation remains tense, with calls growing for the state to reconsider its privatization plans and prioritize the needs of cocoa-producing communities in Etung.