By Magnus Effiong
The Paramount Ruler of Etung local government area of Cross River State, His Royal Majesty (HRM) Dr. Emmanuel Oru-Ojong, has appealed to Governor Bassey Otu to intervene in the incarceration of Dr. Oscar Ofuka, former Special Adviser on Cocoa Development and Control in former governor Ben Ayade’s administration.
Some powerful officials of government were said to have arrested and locked Dr Ofuka up over issues related to allocation of cocoa plots at government cocoa estates, to farmers as ordered by the last administration as well as a recent death of a worker in the government cocoa estate.
The Monarch, who spoke through the Chairman, Crises Management Committee of Mbume Blocks of Clan, which is made up of Abia Bendeghe Ekiem and Etomi communities in Etung local government area, Chief Odu Ndep, wondered why Ofuka should become a scapegoat for an alleged misdoing of the last administration.
Oru-Ojong, who was sacked by the Ayade administration but reinstated in suit number HC/96/2022 on March 23,2023, called on the Governor to set up a commission of inquiry, made of men and women of proven integrity to dig into allegations against Ofuka.
“Your Excellency, many would consider any attempt to link the name of Dr. Ofuka or that of any member of his family to the recent dead of a worker in the government cocoa estate as absolutely outlandish, ill motivated, grossly unfounded, trumped up and political witch hunt.
“Unless there is factual evidence to invalidate my assumption, I am in earnest inclined to think that as a lawmaker in which capacity you once served our great nation, you cannot knowingly condone the abuse of office being perpetrated against Ofuka by some government officials and security operatives.
“There is no gainsaying that Ofuka had discharge his duties in the capacity officially conferred upon him following the directives clearly defined by the immediate past administration under which he served concerning cocoa farms allocations without any incident.
“It is on that score that I am fervently appealing for your kind intervention against the backdrop of overwhelming calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Ofuka.
“I am appealing that Ofuka should be released once he recuperates at the hospital. He should be released as he cannot be held directly responsible for any presumed error of the past administration,” he stated.
The Royal Father posited that Dr Ofuka, an appointee in the then administration, worked tirelessly to ensure that sixteen years old debt owed the cocoa landlord community was cleared through a special arrangement to which the then Attorney General of the state, the ministry of Agriculture and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were signatories to the agreement.
“The ongoing harassment,” he continued, “and torment which Ofuka is being subjected to is outrageous, grossly misplaced and absolutely unacceptable. Death is not the price he pays for a job more than well done.
“The consent judgment to which the aforesaid arrangement alludes to is appropriately deemed an inherited commitment, legally binding on the incumbent administration of the State by law since government is continuum.
“I wish to state categorically that the initial bloc payment of arrears of rent and royalties, amounting to over thirty seven million naira, has been paid to all cocoa landlord communities who can attest to it.”
