Women allegedly beat up Monarch, shutdown Chinese factory in C’River community 

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar 

Hundreds of women on Saturday took to the streets of Effi Community,Okuni village in Ikom local government area of Cross River State over alleged women exclusion from  agreement reached with Chinese nationals engaged in white wood processing factory in the community.

The protesting women sealed up  the factory gate, leaving about four  Chinese workers to their fate, before hoodlums purported  to have been hired by one of the gladiators  in tbe struggle stormed the factory gate and beat up a  traditional ruler senior Chief Ntui Ojong-Nyambi, for untying  the palm fronts used by the aggrieved  women   to seal up  the gate of  Chinese factory.

The women who protested wearing black clothes demanded full protection of their interest, and opportunity to make input in the content of the agreement which they claimed they were excluded on the day of drafting of agreement.

Resentment by the protesting women led to the beating up of a senior monarch head of the 9 traditional rulers in Effi community , Chief Ntui Ojong-Nyambi, by hoodlums  alleged to have been hired by a certain individual who had been giving the community trouble. 

The hoodlums pounced on the traditional ruler just as he led some persons to untie  palm fronts tied by the protesting women at  the gate  of the Chinese factory.
In Effi community, palm fronts are  supposed  to be a form of communication  that bars individuals from entry and  exit 

Answering questions from our Correspondent  shortly after the protest, spokesperson for the aggrieved Effi women,  Mrs.Mercy Akpet, said, “community men had been  looking down on us”. 
“During their meeting with the lawmakers of the Cross River State  House of Assembly (CRHA), these  men were advised  to convene a meeting of women and youths  to dialogue with us, unfortunately they had not done so”.

“We left a message behind that they should look for us but because the men underrated us, they went to loosen the palm fronts without our consent.

“I  just heard that our most senior chief had been beaten by some young men. He should have reached out to us to appeal to us to loosen the palm fronts. We weren’t at war, we just wanted the Chinese to recognize us”.

Reacting to what he described as assault and molestation by hoodlums purported to have been hired by one of their sons who had suddenly become a thorn in the flesh of the community traditional institution,  senior Effi Community monarch, chief Ntui Ojong-Nyambi, expressed dismay over the  assault.

” They accused us of sidelining the women. Let me inform you that the women president , Ekim Ejukwa, also had her signature in the agreement that we made with the Chinese nationals”.

” It’s the women who blocked the wood factory gate with palm fronts and I went there to remove the palm fronts so that these foreigners can have their way out of the factory.
” Someone mobilized  hoodlums to beat me up and they forced me to  tie the palm fronts back.

“As I speak now the Chinese are still inside the factory. The women chief also signed that agreement that we did with Chinese nationals.We have reported the matter to the area command Ikom for necessary action”. He maintained.

Neither the community lawyer, Barrister Ichire Okim, nor the forest conservationist Executive director Rainforest Resources and Development Odey Oyama, who are the two gladiators in the issue could be reached for comments as their telephone lines were said to be off as of the time of filing in this report.