Court orders CRSG to stop eviction of Cocoa Allottees,.extend farm work till May 6, 2024

By Ene Ene, Calabar

A High Court sitting in Effraya, Etung local government area of Cross River State has ordered governor Bassey Otu led administration to stop the eviction of cocoa allottees.

The Nations News Nigeria reports that the immediate past administration led by governor, Ben Ayade allotted the cocoa estate to the allottees.

The court, however ordered that those who were allocated cocoa plots by the previous administration, will continue work in their farms till May 6, 2024 pending the period that a motion for interlocutory injunction will be moved.

The court presided over by justice Amajama Enenji, in suit No.HE/16/2024 between Mr. Charles Mgbe, and other allottees of 1,415 hectares of cocoa plots, and the Cross River State government, the court ordered that the allottees be allowed to continue to work in their cocoa farms up to May 6, 2024.

The adjournment of the case was considered by Effraya court following agreement by lawyers of the claimant Mba Ukweni (SAN), and I.I Eval Esq who held brief for W. S. Ogar, counsel to the defendant.

In a brief interview with our reporter shortly after adjournment of the matter, claimants’ counsel, Mba Ukweni who gave a brief on the matter stressed that his clients within the arm of the law, were in order to continue with work on their farms genuinely allocated to them pending court orders.

“My learned friend W S Ogar, to represent them, Ogar is not available because he is bereaved, he sent this lawyer I I Eval to hold his brief, the same thing he told me was what he told Eval, that we should consent to adjournment for him,.

“And i said it will be on condition that the order already made be extended to enable us move the application on notice for injunction and he agreed.

“So that was exactly what happened, and the court has extended the order of injunction restraining the government from interfering to their right to the use and possession of the farm to May 6, that is the day that the motion for interlocutory injunction will also be moved.
Ukweni averred that the allottees would therefore have to continue to work on their plots of farm and awaits the decision of the court.

He stressed that the court has granted an order of injunction restraining state government from chasing the allottees out from there plots of cocoa allocated to them by immediate past administration.

“So they have no reason not to continue their work, its rather the government and the people they have appointed that should be worried, because if the do anything contrary to court order it could be visited with sanctions”. Ukweni warned.