Mezam SDO to settle Mankon, Nsongwa land disputes

The SDO for Mezam, Felix Nguele Nguele, has appealed to the people of Mankon to remain calm and wait on the administration to take the necessary steps to end the land problem between Nsongwa and Mankon.

Felix Nguele Nguele was speaking in his office on Friday February 20 as he received members of the Mankon traditional council who were there to present a petition on the crisis.

The SDO said he has reinforced the decision by the former SDO, Njounwet Joseph Bertrand, who had placed an injunction order stopping all development from taking place on the said piece of land.

Nguele, however, expressed worries that the Mankon palace had embarked on some road construction on the said piece of land, thereby provoking the conflict.

While intimating that it is the exclusive preserve of the Bamenda City Council to develop roads in the municipality, he insisted that the injunction order must be respected. He added that the people of Mankon should ensure that they keep peace and order while awaiting the decision of the administration.

The protest letter read to the SDO at his office explained that as far back in 1934, the British colonial administration had demarcated the boundary between the Mankon and Nsongwa villages.

The protesters also attached official documents signed by the British administration to the effect that the said piece of land belonged to the Mankon Fondom.

The Mankon traditional council submitted that subsequent administrations in the past have done much work on the disputed piece of land, including the placement of thirteen pillars to demarcate the land.

They, however, regretted that, twelve of the thirteen pillars were uprooted by the natives of Nsongwa with the exception of one which was buried in the ground and was not seen. They wondered why the administration has not taken action to bring the perpetrators of this action to book.

They said this was injustice against the Mankon people, Fon Angwafor of Mankon later told journalists that the injunction order placed on the piece of land is affecting the people who depend on it for their livelihood.

He said that new administrative units have been created with both Mankon and Nsongwa in Bamenda II. He further reminded the people of Nsongwa that they should know that the issue of land dispute was immaterial because Nsongwa was created by sons of Mankon who decided to leave and go find their own settlement.

The Mankon traditional ruler said all his people who depend on the land for farming do not have a means to send their children to school and also survive.

This was why he urged the administration to lift the injunction place on the land. He, however, promised that while waiting for the decision of the commission on land disputes, he has called on his people to remain calm and not be involved in any form of confrontation with the people of Nsongwa.