Mbororos protest encroachment by Catholic University

Mezam SDO has set up a Commission that is on the field to resolve the land crisis.

Mezam SDO, Felix Nguele Nguele, has set up a commission to set records straight in the land crisis pitting Mbororos of Wumsi Ndzah village Bamenda III Sub-division and the Catholic University Cameroon (CATUC)- Bamenda. The setting up of the commission was inspired by the Mbororos who as at press time yesterday, April 9, 2014, were protesting at the entrance into the Archdiocese of Bamenda.

The Mbororos argue that the Archdiocese is claiming more than the 46.3 hectares of land allocated by the government for the construction of CATUC, Bamenda. It all started last Thursday when the Catholics were about to begin the preparation of the ground for effective works to begin. Reacting, the Mbororos resisted and asked the caterpillar to stop work. A fight resulted to the destruction of the caterpillar and other vehicles as well as killing of livestock while some individuals were injured. The Mbororos issued threats that no development will take place on the land because they have been expelled from their grazing land. They found it inconceivable that the Archdiocese of Bamenda prefer infrastructural development over the humanitarian concerns of the Mbororos.

Meanwhile, Cosmas Jobain, who is in charge of the land of the Archdiocese of Bamenda told CT that the land was formally acquired from the government after fulfilling the required procedure. He revealed that the archdiocese is keeping a site plan from the Land Consultation Board covering 64 hectares and the Mbororos cannot claim that they are grabbing more land. Authorities of the archdiocese of Bamenda also stressed that the crisis is pitting the Mbororos of Ndzah and the Catholic University project and not the Muslim against the Catholic Church.

Cosmas Tabain also told CT that compensation had already been paid for the crops and property that were on the land and they find it difficult to understand why the Mbororos are against what they have been associated to since arrangements to acquire the land started.

By Abongwa Fozo