Fako land-grabbing: CONAC summons officials, chiefs, mayor to Yaoundé

Some former and current officials of the Regional and Divisional Delegations of Lands and Surveys in the Southwest Region, traditional and municipal authorities have been summoned to Yaounde by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, known by its French acronym as CONAC.

The officials, chiefs, and mayor charged with land-grabbing were served the summons from the anti-graft outfit around December 28, 2015, to appear before the Commission on January 28, 2016.

The summoned officials of Lands, Surveys, and State property include Florence Bate (suspended from duties) with her mother in whose name she registered some of the irregularly acquired parcels of land. Others are former Regional Chief of Lands, Paul Kamchang; his predecessor, Mbella; the man in charge of Archives, Desire Ngwa; retired surveyor, Felix Shishang and Surveyors Solomon Takwi, Sidney Ashu, Clifford Ngong, among others.

The name of the Mayor of Buea, Patrick Ekema Esunge is said to feature on the list of the summoned authorities, as well as the Chief of Molyko.

The Fako land-grabbing saga began with the surrender of ancestral lands that had hitherto been exploited by the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC.
Real and fake chiefs (quickly propped up for the purpose, in connivance with certain administrators and Lands officials and grabbed land destined to their people, sold parcels of it and became the nouveau riche flaunting posh cars and villas.

In most of the villages, the people to whom the lands were destined have been landless, while their chiefs and elite have become land merchants living in affluence.

The villagers petitioned the anti-corruption outfit and the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF) over what they consider to be being robbed of their fundamental rights.

The summonses are the result of investigations carried out by several CONAC missions to Fako during which administrators, Lands officials, traditional and municipals authorities were grilled.