By Ike Uchechukwu

Calabar —THE three thousand eight hundred hectares of cocoa plantation under cultivation at Aking-Osomba in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State is to engage the services of  five thousand workers.

The plantation, which spreads across vast expanse of pristine forest, runs  through  two communities and extends to the  Nigeria-Camerron  border in the area.

Chairman of the State Cocoa Development Board,Mr.Oscar Ofuka, who took Vanguard round the plantation  to debunk claims that the plantation is a ruse, stated that five thousand seedlings of organic cocoa stems have been planted in the plantation so far.

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His words: ”We have been on  this project for  the past two years and cocoa being the most valuable  crop will generate  revenue to boost the state’s  economy and stop it from  depending  on federal allocation’

He said with harvest from the plantation,  the state will overtake Cote D’ívoire in cocoa production in a few years.

“The state governor, Senator Ben Ayade, has set a five thousand metric tonnes cocoa processing factory in Ikom and  harvests from this estate will form the bulk of produce to be processed there”.

Ofuka said the five thousand youths to be engaged in the plantation will assist in clearing the bush, trimming the cocoa stems and harvesting to ensure maximum production at all times.He thanked the two communities of Aking and Osomba for their foresight in donating the land and assured that in the nearest future poverty and unemployment will be a thing of the past in the area.

“We named this plantation  Ayade Legacy Farm because it is a legacy this government will leave behind just like Dr Michael Okpara did for the people of South Eastern Region  when he was Premier and till today those estates he cultivated  are still yielding revenue.”