In its avowed determination to launch Akwa Ibom State into the league of states with increased palm oil production, the State Government has resumed the management of the Dakkada Global Oil Palm Limited, formerly known as Akwa Palms Estate.
Hence, trespassers have been warned to stay off the farms or risk the full wrath of the law.
This was the hallmark of the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno’s visitation, Monday, to the palm farm which is situated in six communities in Esit Eket, Urueffong Oruko and Mbo Local Government Areas.
The six villages namely Etebi Idung Asan, Etebi Akwa Ata, Unyanga, Udung Uko, Ntak Inyang and Orukem, through their village heads and youth leaders also affirmed their resolved to surrender the oil palm plantation to the state government to fast track its enhance productivity and development.
Addressing the communities, Governor Umo Eno said that he led the state delegation on a fact finding mission to monitor the progress recorded at the farm for full take over by the government.
He told the community that oil palm investment is money spinning and that they should encourage such venture, and assured the youths of gainful employment in the plantation which he said would be upgraded to standard with facilities and security gadgets, thanking the host communities for their decision to hand over the farm to government.
The Governor charged the Police commissioner and other security agencies to make their services available assuring that he will build a security post and provide two patrol vehicles at the farm.
Welcoming the guests to the event , the Chairman Esit Eket Local Government Council, Rt Hon Iniobong Robinson applauded the Governor’s interest in the project, saying that his visit to the plantation has rekindled hope of the host communities that the project would receive priority government attention.
He said that the plantation had been abandoned for upwards of thirty years causing the host community to feast on the palm fruits, with some people developing sense of entitlement to the detriment of government and likened the decision to resuscitate the oil pam plantation to the biblical miracle of turning of water to wine , noting that the host community is happy with his visit.
Also, the Acting Director Agricultural Investment, Mr Ofonmbuk Nelson, in his review of the project said that resuscitation of the Estate dates back to May 2020 when the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, then the Director Agricultural Investment, took it upon himself to fence a section of the plantation, provide security post, Administrative Block, Nursery, procured forty seven thousand seedlings from NIFO and install a Mill in the farm.
