Restive CCSP workers confront SDO over land-grabbing

Workers of the Cocoa and Coffee Seedling Project, CCSP, in Kang- Barombi Kumba, Southwest Region, recently invaded the office of the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Meme, David Koulbout Aman, protesting land-grabbing.

The angry workers staged a demonstration from Saint Anthony Catholic Church Buea-Road to the Prefect's Office at Up Station. They carried placards and cocoa seedlings, which they said were destroyed by individuals claiming land ownership in the area.

The placards carried messages such as;“Cameroon is not a lawless State, administration help preserve Government land, CCSP land is in pains” and many others.

According to Mathias Tegum, a field staff of CCSP, the destruction of improved cocoa seedlings (clones) from Brazil, Ivory Coast and France may jeopardise Cameroon's target of producing 600,000 tons of cocoa by 2020.

Tegum stated that Government has invested huge resources in nurturing the hybrid for over a decade only for some individuals to get up one day and cut down the cocoa.

In a letter addressed to the administration, the protesting workers noted that on June 1, one hectare of cocoa seed garden was cut down. Such acts, the letter stated, have been recurrent in the last few years.

Thewriters said their lives are being threatened by those who invaded the seed gardens.

Pointing out other damages, the letter adds that, CCSP's sole assignment of producing enough hybrid cocoa pods for the entire nation is being frustrated.
They urged the administration to take actions to restore immediate peace in the area for CCSP to continue performing its role.

Attending to the workers, the SDO for Meme, David Koulbout Aman, condemned the public demonstration, but urged the Divisional Delegate of State Property and Land Tenure and the Divisional Officer, DO for Kumba III, to visit the disputed area and assess the damages caused.

He advised the CCSP to make a formal complaint to the administration for other actions to be taken.

On the architects of the destruction, theSDO said before Monday's strike action, he received Magistrate Franklin Koge Ndille in his office, but the latter deny having anything to do with the incident.

Koulbout further stated that a certain Sipen Amadou, is accused of having cut down the cocoa. Nonetheless, the administrator said actions will be taken to arrest the situation.

The Prefect saidin 2015, the Minister in charge of lands prohibited any further development around the disputed area. Koulbout said the Minister also ordered that only those who had developed their land should be given land tittles and promised thathenceforth,nobody will be allowed to develop land in the area.

Flash Back

On April 24, 2014, Gendarmes were brought in to restore order in the said area after heated exchanges between CCSP officials and individuals owning land in the area.

Back then, the CCSP Chief of Centre, John Nchufor, told The Post that when people were informed that land around the disputed area belonged to IRAD; they left except for Magistrate Koge Ndille.

According to Nchufor, Magistrate Ndille was deceived into buying Government land when the Institute of Agricultural Research, IRAD, decided to offer 69 hectares of land to Barombi natives as requested by the former Chief, Adolf Akama.

Nchufor stated that as far back as 1952, Government had reserved the land, but brandished an April 25, 1963 rural experimental farm land map authored by a certain B. B George, which he explained, shows that the disputed land has been Government land for a long time.

On another map dated January 30, 2009, Nchufor pointed out that CCSP is found on Government land and has been operating unperturbed since1982, one year after its creation.