Egbeda Farm Crisis: Youth Shut Company’s Operations

Youths in Egbeda,
Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State have stopped Jocarl Ltd, a company operating in the community from carrying on its business following what they described as the company’s poor attitude to the complaint of the community.
Speaking with The Tide in Port Harcourt, last Monday, the chairman Franklyn Isaiah expressed regrets that the company had been treating the farm acquisition crisis with levity.
He stated that more than six months ago, the company began negotiation with the community over what he termed as fraudulent expropriation of their farmlands.
Comrade Isaiah said the community had waited patiently for more than six months for the parties to arrive at a decision but expressed surprise that more than two months after the committee set up by the commissioner of Police submitted its report, the directors of the company hard failed to honour invitations to chart a way forward.
He called on the Rivers State Government to put pressure on the company so that they would honour the report of the committee to prevent the worsening of the crisis.
It will be recalled that more than four months ago after the negotiation broke down between the company and its host community, the former suffered great loss as hoodlums hijacked the peaceful protest embarked upon by the youths and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.
But negotiation resumed soon after.

Chidi Enyie