Fako Chiefs president refutes land-grabbing claims

The President of Fako Chiefs Conference has debunked claims by indigenes that there is a land-grabbing phenomenon in Fako Division.

Despite the strong concerns that have been raised by indigenes of Fako Division about some administrators using their positions to “grab” land ceded by the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, for the benefit of the local population, the new President of the Fako Chief’s Conference, has stated that there is no problem of land in Fako.

“I hear papers are writing about land, land, land… There is no problem of land in Fako. The Chiefs are custodians of the tradition, culture and landed property…. And with us the Chiefs, we know that there is no problem of land in Fako,” Chief Johannes Njie Mokoto said.

Chief Njie, who took over from Chief Samuel Epupa Ekum of Limbe as new President of the union of Chiefs in Fako was speaking to the press on August 29 in Limbe, while leading a delegation of some 20 chiefs to present their new exco to Fako SDO, Zang III.

“There is no reason for some indigenes, or I don’t know what name to call them, to start talking about land behind the Chiefs when they already know that the Chiefs are the custodians of the land in Fako.

“I think that the new executive is completely out to preach peace, unity, solidarity and development. Development is our watchword,” Chief Njie stated.

Njie’s affirmations and denials about any existing land problems in Fako, nevertheless, were at variance with what is on the ground. It is just over a week that a CONAC team led by one-time MP, Hon Norbert Mbile, Justice Epule and a journalist, Guy Roger Eba, were in the Division to dig into the complaints raised by Bakweri indigenes, among them Barrister Ikomi Ngongi, about the frightening pace at which lands ceded by the CDC have been confiscated by serving as well as past administrators with the apparent blessings of some of the Chiefs.

The CONAC team pitched camp in Buea and Limbe where they are said to have grilled several Chiefs, some administrators and some officials of the CDC about the land-grabbing mafia.

Nothing has really filtered from what the team found, but information gathered from the security and other sources say the team is still expected back, in days or weeks ahead, to gather more findings on the issue.

Meantime, following the Chiefs visit to the SDO, Zang III thanked them for all the support his administration has been having from them. He promised to also lend them support whenever the need arises.

“Since you are auxiliaries of the administration, you have to work closely with the administration. I wish you all the success and assure you of my full support.”

Zang, nevertheless, called on the Chiefs to work as a team and that unity should be their force. He remarked that an unhealthy atmosphere existed during the time of Chief Epupa Ekum as President, because Chief Ekum had engineered his colleagues, after the Reunification celebrations of February 2014, to withdraw from the Southwest Chiefs Conference.