Mr Asu Njoh is one of the key players in the cocoa sub-sector in Cross River State and doubles as allottee of state government, at government owned Cocoa estate in Abonita, Etung local government area. He denied the allegations over knowing the whereabout of a worker to a co-farmer, Mr Mbu Liku Mark -Prince who had fingered him of having a hand in the purported disappearance of the worker, one Mr Mike and at same time, seeking intervention of the state government.
Below is the excerpts of the interview with our correspondent:
What’s the total landmass of that area?
The total landmass lend for Abonita Cocoa is 3,000 hectares but government only planted between Etomi and Agbokim, they planted only 422 hectares. The other land has been taken over by the host community as encroachment, so I don’t know how government that is still having extra land that is supposed to expand will now go to encroach on somebody’s land, when government has not even exhausted its own land, its now encroaching into people’s land, so I can’t understand, it’s funny.
What is there is that, as they were planting, they started planting from Agbokim towards Etomi, they were supposed to extend towards Ajassor area but they could not continue, that’s why I’m saying out of the 3,000 hectares they only planted 322 hectares, so the Ajassor side that they were supposed to plant that they didn’t plant, they have encroach and they are planting Cocoa and another economic trees.
Funny enough, Mr. Mbu Liku has now crossed even the stream that is there and now entered inside part of the 422 hectares that government planted and Mbu Liku is now trying to claim ownership.
There’s no single individual in Abonita Cocoa that planted his cocoa farm in hectares, that you can see a demarcation between this bloc and that bloc, I challenge that person to come and show us that his farm where you can see tractor lines, bloc parts like we can say 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B and so on. It is only government that planted cocoa in that manner.
The last report has it that you actually held one of his worker hostage, can you give an insight of what happened?
That is why I am saying it is assassination of character. He wants to malign my name. Reason being that he is even the one who solicited for the release of that same Mike who was caught in government owned Cocoa estate stealing Cocoa Allotted to me, Mike and his accomplices were handed over to the Agbokim Police station,you can go and find out and ofcourse they subsequently transferred to Okuni area command in Ikom local government area of the state.
The same Mbu Liku was the fellow who sent a lawyer to take Mike on bail. He even appealed to the Commanding Officer (CO) of Afi barracks to discuss with the area command for the release of this same Mike and one Emmanuel who were arrested together and two others. Surprisingly, we heard that the same Mike that he solicited for and was released is the one again that he raised a false alarm that Mike was missing, fingering me (Njor Asu Njoh), of knowing Mike’s whereabout the question I’m asking is how? As I speak, I don’t even know the Mike, I don’t even know him before this incident.
Why would you say you don’t know him, when it has been alleged that your workers are the ones who captured the young man and tie him up to a tree in the bush only to be set free probably because of the media report. What’s your take on this?
It is not true. It’s a lie from the pit of hell. From what I gathered, the young man escaped during the period when other suspects were being arrested. That same day others were arrested, he escaped, as he escaped unknown to him that his partners in the crime had been taken to the police station as he went back to the farm in search of other three suspects who were his partners in the crime, that was when he was arrested. I realized he was arrested the next day, he went in search of the other three because he didn’t know their whereabout, so on going back to search for them, that was when he was also apprehended and also handed over to the Agbokim Police station where he was subsequently transferred to Okuni police station. So the issue of tie or they did not tie is an unfounded story because that’s the story that Mbu Liku carries everyday when he wants to make his case serious, he resorts to making mischief.
What is the message to him regarding the allegations?
The message to him is that he should stop deceiving the public by sending false information and try to assassinate my character because I face matters and not individuals.
And for his claim that the 32 hectares at Abonita cocoa estate which he alleged is in contention, is owned by one person, he should appeal if his interest is affected and he should appeal over suit number HM/73/2020, which stated that the 32 hectares belongs to the state government of Cross River and not late Chief Ogar Assam of Ajassor community.
But Mbu Liku has authentic documents showing that the 32 hectares in contention belongs to late Ogar Assam?
I disagree with that claim. To put the records straight, the Cross River State government is in full possession of the entire Abonita cocoa estate since its establishment in 1976. Late Chief Ogar Assam of blessed memory died on February 10, 1974, and had no claim of 32 hectares of cocoa farm at Abonita government owned cocoa estate as claimed by Mark Prince (Mbu Liku). Facts available show that Chief Ogar Assam, of blessed memory died 2 years before the establishment of the estate. So why is Mbu Liku still making this false claim that the 32 hectares at Abonita which he had artificially put in contention belongs to his late uncle Chief Assam?
