Non natives want to suppress natives in Mevio - Chief

Your highness, please tell us about the recent happenings in your village and this idea of you acting as a destabiliser of peace?

Because of freedom of speech, the people who destabilize other people's peace will be the first to accuse others of destabilizing their peace.

On Saturday 27th of September 2014, the forces of Law and Order arrested some six recalcitrant persons flagrant Delicto while assaulting one single person around the area of our village which has boundary with the Ombe River. The person who was assaulted was rendered to 45 days incapacitated and this is not the first time such an assault is happening in our village.

I will not say anything further on the incident because it is a very serious and delicate matter and currently under prosecution.

The issue is that some non-native squatters are making effort to suppress the indigenous minority in Lower Meveo which I govern as Chief. Their acts of suppression have been demonstrated by several cases of assault, threats on lives, destruction of our crops and buildings, violation of injunction orders and destruction of their notice board, removal of boundary pillars planted by Land consultative board (I mean even in areas covered by and certificate), fetish mal-practices and also writing false defamatory petitions and complaints against our Chiefdom and village Council under a questionable association so called “Meveo Farmers Mutengene”.

Who are these people farming in Meveo and what is the relationship between these people and the village traditional council?

We have over 500 farmers residing in Mutengene, who grow both cash and seasonal crops in Meveo as a major means of livelihood. Amongst them, we have a database of only about 50 of them who have loyally entered into tenancy agreement with the village council and or the indigenes.

The said loyal farmers are the ones who attend meetings summoned by the village council and contribute towards development projects. Meanwhile about 90% of the farmers are squatters who feel that they are farming on “NO MANS LAND” (A thing which can never happen in their own villages).

I must say that it is not a tribal conflict but Territorial claims. Every Cameroonian has the right to settle anywhere around the National territory, but after fulfilling the Customary and Administrative regulations. The situation in Lower Meveo cannot be the reverse.

While we respect their rights as users of our native lands they should respect our rights as proprietors of the God given soil where 2/3 of all the crops sold at the Mutengene Big-Mop market is grown and harvested from. They own the crops which they planted without any permission but we are the custodians of the Land’.

The administration seems to have waded in to the matter what are they doing about it?

Administration knows about the issues going on in Lower Meveo and are doing much to resolve the issues. The re-institution of our Chiefdom and a Chief appointed to represent the Government in Meveo is a very important step to erase the idea of NO MANS LAND from the minds of the squatters.

Administration also created the vigilance committee to work in collaboration with the Forces of Law and Order and ensure Peace and Order in our village. Also our obtiantion of land certificates for several parcels of National Lands in Lower Meveo is eloquent testimony that the State recognises our legitimate heritage.

However, the Chiefdom and Village council is being compromised by the squatters. Notices and announcements for meetings, community labour, and other issues regarding the wellbeing of the village are being minimised. Members of the vigilance committee are been threatened by the squatters.

Even Injunction Orders on parcels in dispute between some natives and the squatters are being violated by the squatters; who sharpen their matchet(s) and continue clearing and planting on such places under Injunction, threatening to butcher anyone who dares to pry on their farming activities.

It is alleged that some court actions were taken, what are the outcomes?

Mr. Journalist, Court actions are court actions, and I am not competent to presume judgments. However we are confident that Justice will take her course.

Presently what is the situation of the village and its community hall project amongst others?

We have done 1/3 of the project as we previously announced during our village Cultural and Development Assembly earlier this year. We are still awaiting some paperwork at the level of the City council to accelerate the Project.

Any last word?

I must say here that since the re-institution of our Chiefdom and village Council, the re-habitation process is slow partly due to the vandalious attitude of the squatters.

We have only 11 houses including the Chiefs palace and it may be of interest for you to know that the Chiefs palace was constructed but destroyed 3 times by the squatters and the current one is the 4th structure. Such records contribute to discourage the indigenous minority currently in the Diaspora to relent from constructing houses in their Ancestral village.

I have a question for you as well, can a minority population who occupy 11 houses, wage a resistance from over 500 persons who come into our village on a daily basis for farming activities’?

I think it is the reverse. We are therefore calling on the Administration and Judiciary to take their disposition and put an end to the suppression we are currently facing from the squatters. And to the squatters I say, The Most High GOD is watching and My Ancestors are also watching. If they don’t have a conscience, let them continue with their acts of Judaism.