Cross River inaugurates commission of inquiry into oil palm plantation

The Cross River Government on Friday inaugurated a six-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the crisis in Boki Oil Palm Plantation, with a charge to identify its remote and immediate causes.
Inaugurating the commission, the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu, said: “government can no longer tolerate the crisis which led to the destruction of lives and property in Boki Local Government Area’’.
Esu said that the state government was aware of a group of persons that had been sponsoring the crisis since 2016 when it effected a change in the management.
He said: “It is in this regards that government deemed it necessary to inaugurate this commission of inquiry with a view to bringing speedily end to the unfortunate incident.”
The deputy governor charged the commission to investigate the activities of the estate, identify the causes of the crisis and the major groups and individuals involved in it.
Other terms of reference given to the commission were to identify the extent of involvement of those identified and make recommendations for their possible prosecution.
The commission is also expected to identify all those who have died in the crisis and make recommendations on how to manage the estate in the interim and in the future.
He further charged the commission to ensure that all the host communities to the oil palm estate benefited maximally from it.
In his response, the Chairman of the commission, Justice Maurice Eneji, thanked the state government for finding the members worthy for the assignment.
Eneji pledged that members of the commission would live above board in carrying out the assignment.
He appealed to the people of Boki to use the commission to express their grievances and proffer solutions for peace to prevail in the area.
The chairman promised to use his personal experience and relationship with the people to engender amicable resolution of the crisis.
He said: “I also appeal to all stakeholders within and outside Boki to support the commission to enable it to succeed in it assignment.’’
Other members of the commission are: Justice Edem Kufre, Pastor Sam Inyang, Rev. Mercy Akpama, Jude Ngaji and Patrick Agida.