We can authoritatively report that tje Etap Ayip Kasuk community, the landlord community who own extensive portions of virgin land along the MCC/Idundu road and Jonathan Bye-pass in Calabar Municipality have concluded extreme arrangements to bar Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, his officials and several people with ties to the governor, from accessing large portions of the land purportedly acquired by the Ayade administration for the Calabar Virgin City Project.
This Sunday afternoon, several indigenes of the area, mobilized by members of the community’s traditional institution, took possession of the land, stringing palm fronds round the extensive virgin land and preventing anybody from accessing any part of the land. An insider source told www.calitown.com that their action is a direct response of the CRSG’s inability to complete negotiations on the land and complete compensation payment to the landlord community.
It was further revealed that arbitrarily, some parts of the land, supposedly acquired by Ayade for the Calabar Virgin City Project, have been taken taken over and earmarked for private use.
But John Inyang, Commissioner for Lands, CRS, believes the community’s steps are not in the best interest of all concerned. He told www.calitown.com when contacted that government has and will continue to negotiate with the community to forestall any breakdown of law and order. He appealed to the community to remain calm as efforts on government’s part are unrelenting. Attempts to speak with the community’s head, Chief Ededem Ayitu, proved abortive at press time and several persons were seen on the piece of land intensifying efforts for tomorrow’s perceived showdown.
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