Farmers and community leaders in the Cross River northern senatorial district have expressed concerns over excessive extortion by government agents and the deplorable state of the roads used to transport farm produce.
Agriculture serves as the primary source of income in this northern region, which includes Yala, Ogoja, Obudu, Bekwarra, and Obanliku.
In various interviews, farmers pointed out that rampant extortion and poor road infrastructure are their two major challenges.
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They noted that these issues have led to significant crop wastage, as they are unable to transport their produce to urban centers and markets due to the deteriorating road conditions in their communities.
A community leader in Okuku, Yala LGA, Joseph Odey, said: “The issue of numerous extortion checkpoints in these villages and towns has become very worrisome.
“On market days, when farmers try to transport their crops, they encounter many checkpoints manned by so-called government agents who extort money.
“Some claim to be agricultural produce inspectors, but they don’t inspect anything—they just extort the farmers.
“This not only discourages farmers from taking their produce to market but also causes an increase in prices for our people to buy to feed their families in these hard times.”
Another farmer, Oko Efuji, noted that the issue worsens during the rainy season from June to October, which coincides with the main harvest and the end of the farming period.
The farmers urged Governor Bassey Otu to urgently prioritize the development of rural roads and to allocate resources and directives to the local government councils to begin repairing the local roads.
“It would be a great help for us in Cross River North if the governor can address these issues quickly as we approach another harvest season. You can help lift us out of poverty by giving us good roads in our rural villages and towns,” Efuji said.’
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