AIG Mbu J Mbu Finally Breaks Silence
AIG. Mbu Joseph Mbu is a name that can not be easily forgotten in the security arena, especially in The Nigeria Police Force during his service to our Nation and humanity. In the course of his service to the Nigeria people, his bravery, courage and daring stance on critical issues and total loyalty to the Government of the time made him an outstanding officer to date.
Same with his infrastructural developments where ever he went. He earned several awards in Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa and in the USA. He also has the Nigeria Police Medal as well as the Nigeria Police Medal of Courage and so many commendation letters from some IGPs and Organizations. AIG MBU had gone round the Police. He was DPO in over six Police Divisions, Area Commander in not less than four Area Commands. He was appointed The Force Education Officer in Charge of Police Education, Commissioner in charge Police Mobile Force MOPOL , Commissioner in charge Oyo state, Rivers State and also the Commissioner FCT Police Command. He also served as the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 7, Abuja, and also as AIG in charge of Zone 2, Lagos. His last appointment was as the Commandant of Police Staff College Jos where senior Officers from the ranks of ASP 1 to DCP go on courses and he left remarkable changes as usual.
The Nigerian Voice: Sir What is the problem between the Cross River State Government, the Special Adviser on Cocoa Development and Control, Mr Oscar Ofuka, AIG Njom and other allegations. Can you throw more light?
AIG Mbu: Thank you The Nigerian Voice. I have decided to break this silence in order to ease tension among a lot of people who know me. Etung LGA in Cross River State is the second largest producer of cocoa in Nigeria. Sometime in 2018, Mr Oscar Ofuka a native of Bendeghe Ekiem in Etung LGA carved out of Ikom LGA of Cross River State became the Special Adviser on Cocoa Development and Control to Cross River State Governor .He came to my house in Abuja and requested to have a conversation with me. We had a good conversation. He showed me documents including a Consent judgment that the present Cross River State Government has failed to pay royalties to cocoa landlord committees for over four years. He went further to state that there is Cocoa Landlord Communities Committee set up by Cocoa Landlord Traditional Rulers, backed with a power of Attorney they donated to the Committee which was headed by late Engr. Hon Ata Obi Tangban with Rtd AIG Njar Njom, Paul Manyo as secretary, Mbek Agbor Tangban and five others as members.
The Committee was set up in 2012 with the mandate to pursue every indebtedness by the government to the cocoa producing areas and every other thing affecting the host communities. In 2018 the committee secured a consent judgment from the High Court at Etung on the following terms.
(1) Henceforth the government is to set up a Cocoa Allocation Committee and two members of the committee will come from the host communities. This committee will sell out government forms to the public for those who are interested in renting the cocoa farms. After the allocation of the farms which is done in hectares, the rental fees of the hectares will be paid to a government account according to the number of hectares allocated to each individuals.
(2) The allocation will be done on a ratio of 70% to the indigenes of the host communities and 30% to others within the state.
(3) Revenue accruing from the sales of forms and the allocation rental fees would be shared as follows: The host communities 30% and the government 70%
(4) Infrastructures would all be rehabilitated in the five cocoa estates.
(5) The consent judgment also directed the state government to immediately release the sum of 12.5 million naira as indebtedness previously owed to the host communities.
After reading the consent judgment terms I was filled with joy, believing that the restiveness of the youths in the area will finally be settled as cocoa farms will be allocated to them and they will be engaged and would be empowered financially .
Mr. Oscar Ofuka pleaded with me to influence the Cross River State Government to elevate him from Special Assistant to Special Adviser on Cocoa allocation and regeneration in Governor Ayade's new government. He promised me that he will make sure all these consent terms are implemented. Again I became very excited that with this 70% allocation to our youths as it will meaningfully engage and empower our youths financially. I asked if what he is telling me now was coming out of his heart. I further told him that if he acts to the contrary, I will tell him that I’m a policeman and a senior one for that matter.
I did my best to make sure Oscar Ofuka was appointed Special Adviser on Cocoa allocation. As I grant this interview, allocation of cocoa hectares was done in the opposite manner. Less than 20% was allocated to the indigenes of Etung while 80% was given out to Non Indigenes. AIG Njom who is over 80 years old and a member of the committee got 11 blocks which is translated into 110 hectares with a profit margin of over #400,000 for every hectare leased out by the original owner. Again out of 40000 cocoa nusery seedlings meant to be planted in the cocoa estates as replacement of dead cocoa trees, Oscar Ofuka secretly released 6000 seedlings to AIG Njom . This is not expected of a member of a committee setup to pursue the interest of the host communities.
THE NIGERIAN VOICE: What is the real contention between you, the Cross River State Government, Oscar and AIG Njom?
AIG MBU: Thank you very much. We are now dancing naked, on the 9th of June 2021 the entire Traditional Rulers of the Etung cocoa producing communities meet at the Traditional Ruler council chambers and unanimously revoked the power of Attorney donated to the previous cocoa committee headed by Engr. Hon Ata Obi Tangban. The previous Committee was disbanded because it has failed in its core mandate to recover the previous debit of 12.5 million from the state government and the accumulated royalty which stood at N56 million. Another reason adduced to the disbandment of the previous Committee was that the Chairman who was already 87 years is no longer active and that a member of the Committee, Rtd AIG Njom was getting too close to Oscar Ofuka, who is now a government agent and who had allocated over 400 hectares of cocoa land to himself and to others in government. The entire Traditional Rulers thanked them for their good works so far and wished them good luck in their endeavours.
L-R: AIG Mbu and AIG Njom(Rtd)
I stay in Abuja and apart from the police work, I don’t know any other work or business. I visit home every three or four months, for the past 4 years and I have been learning to go into animal production. I got a call from the acting paramount ruler of Etung informing me that the entire Traditional Rulers of the cocoa host communities have revoked the power of Attorney granted to Eng. Ata Obi Tangban (My father and mentor) and others and have donated a new power of attorney to a new committee which I’m going to head as the chairman. I told His Royal majesty that I was going to call him back.
After about three hours, I called him back and I said it would not be possible because I have over worked myself and I need to rest for a while but he insisted that he is talking as a representative of the entire Etung communities. He persuaded me to come home for the inauguration. In obidence, I went home for the inauguration. Among those who were inaugurated for the new Committee were: AIG Mbu.J. Mbu Chairman, Mr. A.N Abang, Rtd Perm Sec, Vice chairman, Barr. Holis Isong, Secretary, Ntufam Gabriel Oji a two time commissioner in Gov. Ayade's government and four others.
The acting paramount ruler handed over to me the consent judgment and the terms of settlement. In his words “ we, your fathers we know you and Nigeria knows you to be uncompromising, to be straight forward, to be fearless and to be no nonsenses man; do your best to recover all that is here in this out of court settlement agreement from Oscar and the state government” I accepted and said all of us will do our best .The inauguration took place on the 9th of June 2021.
Surprisingly and to the consternation of everybody, On the 29th of June 2021, Oscar Ofuka conspired with the office of Attorney General of Cross River State Government to file a charge of murder against me at a State High Court in Calabar. Also on the 7th of August 2021 AIG Njom and other members of the former committee whose power of attorney was revoked, excluding the former chairman Engr Hon Ata Obi Tangban filed a suit at the High Court, restraining me and my Vice Chairman, challenging our appointment.
On the 9th of August the former chairman sent a written letter signed by him to Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation, Ikom station, dissociating himself from AIG Njom and others. He stated that they did not seek his consent as the former Chairman before going to court and that the decision of the Traditional Rulers and the host communities is final.
The traditional rulers summoned AIG Njom and told him to go to court and withdraw the suit against me and my deputy, Mr. A.N Abang and that if the suit is not withdrawn within one week, the traditional rulers are going to invoke their customary laws against them. The traditional rulers held another meeting and the following members of the former committee came and denounced AIG Njom, saying that they are not a party to the suit. They are Mr Paul Nmayo the former secretary, Mr Eugene Achima Ntui and Mr Patrick Ita Nji while Rtd AIG Njom, Benjamin Asu Ndep and Mbek Agbor Tangban refused to attend and to withdraw the case.
On the 10th of November 2021 Oscar Ofuka was stripped of his chieftaincy title, Benjamin Asu Ndep was stripped of his chieftaincy at Ayork village, AIG Njom , and Mbek Tangban were all banned from farming activities across Etung communities and were also banned from contesting or holding any political offices including their children and siblings within Etung communities.
For those who have read the hatchet job of Abuja reporters, take note that Abuja reporters have no known address. I want to make bold that when I was Assistant Commissioner of police, AIG NJOM was an Assistant Inspector General of police. I have very high regards for him and I can not in any way compete with him. Nobody knows him in Etung LGA. He merely exists and he is not recognized by any traditional rulers in Etung LGA let alone in cross river state. If it is true by the so called Abuja Reporters that AIG Njom and traditional rulers have written a petitioned against me to the Inspector General of Police, this should be the most pleasant thing that would happen to Etung community. If there are any signatures in the alleged petition coming from Etung chiefs, they must have been forged. I want to appeal to the Inspector General of police to constitute a panel headed by an AIG or very senior CP who is senior to the CP in Cross River State to investigate this matter or allegations if any and record statements from all of us including the CP and the DC operation and the DC- CID as well as OC anti-cultism OC anti-kidnapping, OC anti-robbery as well as OC anti-vice as well as from DCP Elema former head of IGP monitoring unit. I have no cell I don’t need a cell, I have no enemy . The police are there in the station and if the community has any problem, the Town Council Chairman interacts with the DPO.
Oscar Ofuka is the first SA and cocoa chairman who moves in convoy of four vehicles with four MOPOL and four SPU in each of the four vehicles and two in his own vehicle. This is first time I am witnessing unprofessionalism in police conduct since CP Sikiru Akande was posted out of Cross River.
About the court cases and disobedience to court orders. It is a spurious allegation against me that I disobey court order. I have never disobeyed any court order either while in service or out of service. I sued the AG of CRS, suspended Etung Paramount Ruler whom Oscar was using and the IGP who it was alleged went to represent the IG, one ASP in O/C Legal ASP OTU UBANGHA, who was bribed by interested people has now moved to ZONE 6 Calabar. I am still thinking of how I will use a sledge hammer on the cricket. I know when I was retired he was a Police Sergeant who used to represent the IG in the ENDSARS Panel challenging my indictment by ENSARS headed by Rtd Justice Edem with AG Tanko Ashang as Secretary. Ashang is the IPO as well as the Prosecutor. Eight times prove of service by bailiff to all of them but no one came to court except the Police ASP who was ordered to go and clear his mess. He went and denied that he did not represent me. My Lawyers requested for the Certified True Copy of the proceedings and this was not tendered. Also a DPP opinion indicting me but it was not produced. For the Paramount Ruler who received N30m from Oscar. I dug into his antecedents and he was subsequently suspended and had been so for ten months now. Well the AG has requested for out of court settlement and withdrawal of murder Charge. They should go and I need peace but I am also ready for WAR.
The AG should go ahead because I love peace and I love my state. Much as I love peace I am also ready for WAR.