By Bakah Derick
Blogger@hilltopvoices
This
Monday August 17, 2015, the news quickly spread across Bamenda that Bamenda III
Councilors where on strike. On the scene, councilors of Bamenda II were also
arriving. Quizzed on what had brought them one quickly responded saying that
they were coming to join their colleagues to protest the wrong doings of the
administration.
John Fru Ndi
joins protest
After
a display of placards carrying different messages, the councilors where about
to disperse when SDF Chairman John Fru Ndi arrived. On arrival the leader of
Cameroon’s most populous opposition party immediately ordered all those in the construction
site to stop work and move out. The labourers then quickly gathered their tools
and moved out as the gates were wide opened which was not the case as work went
on with closed gates.
Mezam
SDO arrives
As
Fru Ndi looked inside the site, Mr Nguele Nguele Felix Senior Division Officer,
SDO for Mezam arrived. In a short exchange between the two men, The SDF chairman
told the SDO that he is a very development oriented person and so he will not
be party to anything that interrupts development. While maintaining that the
company has been employing and will continue to employ many Cameroonians, the
Chairman said he will not seat and watch this go on in the wrong place noting
that in Yaounde and Douala, there is demolition of houses constructed on marshy
areas. He then questioned why such a giant structure will not be taken to the
industrial zone just a few meters away in Mile 6 Nkwen. According to the
Chairman, the site will bring development and employment but should not be on a
marshy area.
In
responds the SDO for Mezam explained that he had advised the councilors to back
out because if they are sued by the property owner surely that will cause them
to lose a lot of money. John Fru Ndi responded immediately saying that
they had backed out but “I am the one who brought them so if you there should
be a law suit it should be for me”. The SDF Chieftain then requested the SDO to
immediately suspend work and revisit the various documents giving Fokou the
authority to develop the land. At this point the SDO pleaded with the Chairman
to join him for a crisis meeting in his office where the matter can be looked
into. The Chairman however asked that the workers go back to work and complete
the work they had started before locking the gate till further notice.
According to him it will be wicket to ask that they abandon the mixed cement
without pouring wherever they wanted to.
The
SDO then made a visit to some nearby houses affected by the construction work.
 |
| Ngu Patrick |
“My name is
Ngu Patrick. When this work started we complained to the owner of this place
that it was affecting our house. He promised that he was going to redirect the
water as soon as possible but since then we have not seen him. You can see the
fence is falling. I am very happy the council and the SDF is coming hope
something will be done soon because water is now everywhere in the house.” A neighbor told
hilltopvoices.
Barrister
Robert Fon Counsel for Fokou Company in reaction to hilltopvoices stated that “state laws must be respected and now that
the land is being called marshland its simple. The land tittle which was issued
far back in the 80s and the building permit issued recently are all from the
government. And so if government now
thinks that work should not continue on the site they just need to seat and
calculate how much has been spent so far on the land so government can pay off
the current owner.”
Upon
return the SDO then agreed with the Chairman to meet later in the day to
deliberate over the issue.
 |
| Barrister Abenego Fon |
“The action
of the council is very legal. With respect to the laws governing state lands it
is wrong to have awarded a building permit on the site. However now that it has
been done, it is important that council does this to create public awareness on
their position. The right thing will be to begin legal procedure to withdraw
the permit or land tittle on condition that the previous one was issued in error.” Barrister
Fon Abengo told hilltopvoices
Quizzed
on whether the council is capable and ready to face legal action should there
be any mindful of the documents protecting Fokou’s contruction Mayor Forgu
Cletus said “we are not here to contest
his documents. We are contesting the non-respect of the Land Tenure and State
lands law that orders the reservation of at least 25meters from river banks in
case of any construction. I therefore do not see where there should be legal action.”
“There are
other places around Bamenda III where there are no reclamation sign boards and
this move is just the beginning we will make sure that even if there is a land
tittle the lands will not be used.” Mayor Fongu added.
At
press time the in camera meeting is under way
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