Grabbing Of CDC Leasehold Land: Mafia, High Conspiracy Detected

By Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe

The recent illegal felling of CDC Palms under the guise of land surrender is yet another recurring evidence of many wrong things going on in our communities today. 

It would seem perpetrators of these illicit activities have failed to follow the legal instruments laying down procedures for land surrender. 

This is the case with Leasehold lands belonging to the Cameroon Development Corporation, a Corporation which is currently facing enormous challenges caused by the ongoing Socio political crisis.

The financial impact of these illegal actions to the Corporation is close to FCFA 150 million plus about FCFA 37 million losses that will be incurred for paying workers of those sections for no work done.

While the Corporation is struggling to stand on its feet with government support and the willingness of the workers to get back to work, some unscrupulous Fako Chiefs as well as individuals are busy grabbing hectares of land and felling young plants that belong to the Corporation for themselves in the name of land surrender.

The Advocate has been following the matter and realized that most of these grabbing is done without following the prescribed procedures.  The perpetrators of this illegal activity keep multiplying in different communities and Chiefdoms in Fako Division.

The illegal grabbing of Land that belongs to the CDC at this crucial period in the limping life of the Corporation by some Fako Chiefs has been described as greed by a few people whom we spoke to. Areas with Palms as young as 2011 Plantings of about 31 hectares of land from which the CDC can harvest and manage to survive from are being destroyed by these land grabbers.

Mola Nakomi Joseph, a Fako Native said, it is bad faith and needs to be halted. A CDC worker, who didn’t want to be named, said, “With the recent land-grabbing, CDC might have no land to farm on in future. The faith of it’s over 20,000 employees is frightening”.  The same worker added that “The earlier this land-grabbing phenomenon is curbed, the better for the life of CDC”

The recent encroachments have pushed us to raise questions whose answers may lead us into a solution to arrest these illegal activity which has untold effects on the corporation. Who is giving the rights to the chiefs to encroach without the knowledge of the Board of Directors? Who is eligible for land surrender and under what circumstances?  Why is MINDAFF’s decision of 2003 on the procedures of land surrender not respected? Are these grabbers aware of the repercussions of such encroachments to CDC and its communities? Are there some people who are acting like they are above the law? Why are they requesting for New Layouts when the ones they had acquired, have not been developed?

Plantations in villages such as Batoke, Limbola, Bonadikombo, and recently Ndongo in Tiko have been victims of this sad tale to the extent that community members are alleged to have been threatened to be shot in case they complain. There is already a worry as there are indications that the CDC Nursery at Bota is about to be grabbed too.

It is also alleged that Chiefs frequent corridors in Yaounde and by some strange means, obtain documents authorizing them to fell and grab the land.

Our findings further revealed that The Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, has dragged the traditional ruler of Sasse HRH Abel Mukeka Ndive, and associates, to court over the illegal occupation of lands belonging to the Corporation.

We are aware that the CDC has filed a claim of 150 million FCFA at the Fako High Court against GESIT ENG. (represented by Chief Abel Mukeka Ndive) and TEALBESOM COMPANY (represented by Chief Abel Mukeka Ndive).

The claim is for “special and general damages for trespass to land”. In the light of this, the High Court of Fako, Holden in Buea, has issued a summons to Chief Abel Mukeka Ndive and associates for grabbing CDC land. It's alleged that Chief Ndive, under the guise of two foreign companies, has possessed 14 hectares of CDC land in Bonadikombo, Limbe I Sub Division.

In an “application for writ of summons”, the counsel of the CDC, Barrister Ebah Ntoko Justice, wrote that “the plaintiffs have been enjoying unperturbed, quiet and long existing possession of vast parcels of leasehold lands including but not limited to lands with total surface area of 14ha 38a 40ca situate at Limbe I sub division, Fako division in Bonadikombo village allocated to the Plaintiffs by the State of Cameroon through a long term renewable lease agreement and presidential decree…”.

The application continued that “…the plaintiffs were taken aback to receive a correspondence from the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako Division dated 28/11/2019 and titled; “Evaluation of Crops” to the effect that the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure in an order dated 15th day of November, 2019 granted an emphyteutic 30 years renewal long term lease in favour of the Defendants on the plaintiffs’ leasehold lands”.

It should be noted that the CDC depends on its products for its livelihood especially at this time when the Corporation is in bad shape owing to the armed conflict rocking the North West and South West regions. Equally worthy of note is the fact land is an important asset to the CDC earmarked for reconstruction by government.

As second employer after the government, CDC, in the past, has often ceded lands to accommodate fast growing villages in the country.

One tends to wonder why traditional rulers who ought to protect this jewel will embark on grabbing and stabbing same.