‘Cross River communities threaten legal action over alleged land grabbing’ 6 July 2020

Communities in Cross River State have kicked against the exclusion of women in community land rights and the continuous marginalisation by multinational companies. They warned that if this trend does not stop, they would be forced to drag all the multinationals operating in their communities to court to seek redress…They noted that the activities of these multinational companies have adversely impacted on the livelihood of rural dwellers, women and youth in particular.

The communiqué signed by Mrs. Nkoyo Effiong from Mbarakom, Ntufam Alhaji Ibrahim Itansina (Mbarakom), William Ojobe (Biase), Moses Arikpo(Biase) and 16 others said, “Land grab has contributed immensely to global warming/climate change and extinction of snails, and bush mango. That the emergence and entrance of multinationals and sudden take of our individuals, families and community lands were done without the prior consent of the rural dwellers. Hence, the MOU entered into by the government on behalf of communities should be reviewed”. Accordingly, they called for a “stop in all forms of deforestation in our forest; review all existing Memorandum of Understandings (MOU’s), and get community people actively involved in the process; urgent review of the land-use act of 1978 as it has lots of shortcoming in existing; provide for the protection of the rights of youth and women to ownership of the land, particularly the right of widows to inheritance of lands of their late spouses”.

…Wilmar had declined joining issues on these matters but during their earlier meeting with the House Committee in Calabar, Wilmar’s Controller, Sustainability for Africa, Mr. Isaac Mensah denied any exploitation of the workers, saying, “our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), we have our community development initiatives which we have done much in education, water and out-growers programme and the company has had a good working relationship with its staff…all our workers go on leave as it is in our condition of service. The issue of poor treatment of staff is completely false…some individuals were dismissed due to violent conduct.