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Sunday, March 3, 2013

Re: [Bulk] [cameroon_politics] Archbishop of Bamenda Expels 300 Mbororo from their Homes

Mr. Mbeseha,
Rev. Taku has his own way of getting under the skin of persons. One is however tempted to think that the Catholic Church in its own claim to vast expanse of land in Cameroun is not in compliance with the said land law for every inch of that claim. There is nothing wrong in pointing out that in its mission of speaking for the most vulnerable the Catholic Church should have been more apprehensive about this acquisition. Why could the university not be located where the Bororos are being considered to be relocated or where the appearance of going after the most vulnerable is absent? If the Bororos say they did not get the compensation, then someone or persons did as is known to be done to vulnerable people in Cameroun as was in Ndop with the dam and those affected by the Chad-Cameroun pipeline. If the Catholic University was destined to be located where cattle has grazed, Ndawara has more claim to such land in the North West than what is here for these vulnerable Bororos. One wonders if your family's claim to land meets the land law specifications you expect of the protesting Bororos. It is interesting that the parties to the land deal now have to go and reconcile things after the fact.
NDI MANJONG
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
From: Timothy Mbeseha <mbeseha@yahoo.com>
Sender: ambasbay@googlegroups.com
Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2013 09:16:29 -0800 (PST)
To: ambasbay@googlegroups.com<ambasbay@googlegroups.com>; Chief Fonkem<atoabechied001@hotmail.com>; Lebialem Ngwe<LECDA-usa@yahoogroups.com>; lecudo-forum@yahoogroups.com<lecudo-forum@yahoogroups.com>
ReplyTo: ambasbay@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Bulk] [cameroon_politics] Archbishop of Bamenda Expels 300 Mbororo from their Homes

Mr/Rev. Taku A. Moses,
   Sometimes when one reads your contributions especially on topics that turn to be divisive, one must wonder from what world you are coming from. When you write for example that: "These people are created by God and have been living in that land for years. Let the Bishop note that if that will be done to his Bangwa people in libialem, he will not be happy. The people of Mbororo/Fulani are all created by God and He is a God of all flesh", one is tempted to ask the question "And so what?" You do not seem to appreciate the simple fact that development anywhere in the world in general and Cameroon in particular calls for some type of sacrifice. The land on which the Bamenda Cathedral, the Bishop's House, the SDO's office, Sasse College, Government Hospitals etc are situated were once occupied and exploited by some local communities. Even if the so called disputed land were left, the University will still have to move to somewhere else that is occupied or being exploited by some other people. Are you suggesting that the Catholic Authorities leave the land simply because the protesters are Bororos who can call on help from their brothers across Nigeria or because they have some genuine legal claims?
   On reading through the whole article, certain facts stand out that reasonable readers will like to consider before venturing an opinion. Firstly, the fact that the protesters had some legal rights (certificates of occupancy) on the land. The land laws/ordinance that serves as land law in Cameroon has a time limit during which such certificates had to be transformed into land certificates. Have the protesters done that? It does not seem so.
    Secondly, there is insinuation from the article that the administrative authorities in Cameroon say that the said piece of land is national land (by Cameroon law definition). If this is true, then what rights do those who are protesting have over the use and assignments of such lands in Cameroon? There is a good resource of legal minds in Bamenda and Cameroon to address the matter from this angle.
Looking further into the article, one finds that there was some compensation by the Catholic authorities. If it is true, then who are those who received the compensation and what then is the standing of those protesting?  It might be interesting that we know that even the possession of a land certificate does not totally preclude the expropriation/acquisition of such land especially for development purposes. It only entitles the holder of the land certificate to different terms of compensation.
   All the other parts dealing with the Arch Bishop being a Lebialem man, the DO coming from East or West, the farmer grazer land problems in NW to me is cheap talk intended only to fan the flames of a simple problem rather than finding an acceptable solution to the problem. I think the administrator "after reading the Quit Notice from the Archbishop and the petition of the Mbororo and listening to the Land and Survey delegate for Mezam and other stakeholders, said he was going to determine whether there were irregularities with the attribution of the temporal land concession to the archbishop and then call all stakeholders to a meeting" is the right approach to the problem Rev. Taku.
Mbeseha



From: Taku A. A. Moses <gospelcoord@yahoo.com>
To: "cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com" <cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com>; Cameroon Network <camnetwork@yahoogroups.com>; "ambasbay@googlegroups.com" <ambasbay@googlegroups.com>; Ofege Ntemfac <ntemfacnchwete@gmail.com>; Martin Yembe <mfyembe@gmail.com>; Services du Premier Ministre <spm@spm.gov.cm>; "hfossung@yahoo.com Henry Fossung" <hfossung@yahoo.com>; Dr. Christopher Atang <mbatu4@yahoo.com>; Nfor Nfor <nnyamngaisc@gmail.com>; "rouffaou@yahoo.de" <rouffaou@yahoo.de>; "ssnana@live.co.uk" <ssnana@live.co.uk>; Arreymbi Samuel <sarreymbi@gmail.com>; Chief Charles Taku <charto_us@yahoo.com>; "charlycnd@yahoo.com" <charlycnd@yahoo.com>; Dr. Susungi Nfor <nsusungi@yahoo.com>; Atanga John <atangajohn15@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 3, 2013 6:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Bulk] [cameroon_politics] Archbishop of Bamenda Expels 300 Mbororo from their Homes

My NWers,and bishop Fontem Esua,

I sense a serious problem coming to the people of Nw and Bamenda in particular. I will advice thus: Let the Catholic University be located far from the town as it is a large to be institution with hostels and living quarters. These people are created by God and have been living in that land for years. Let the Bishop note that if that will be done to his Bangwa people in libialem, he will not be happy. The people of Mbororo/Fulani are all created by God and He is a God of all flesh, His Word declares.

Anything that affects the Moslems, be it official or private, it will be turned to a religious crisis. Let the Bishop be forewarned as these people have their sympathizers in Northern Nigeria which you do not need a car to come fight in Bamenda. The young man from Manyu who is DO there should be careful as he will be in serious hot waters as he is involved in the wrong decisions forwarded to the Minister concerning this matter. If he ever took a dime as a bribe from the catholic Bishop to give wrong decision or advice, he will pay dearly. You people know me as one who does not take sides when it concerns the oppressed or any wrong doing. From his name, I should know that he is from Manyu and must exercise the life of Integrity.

This group of people have been living in that land as stated since 1904 and were giving a legal document of ownership since 1933. If you do not honour that document-Mr.Bishop Fontem Esua, how will you therefore honour the Bible which you know is also so old and has no physical or touchable evidence?. We accept the Word of God by FAITH that it is True and therefore you too should accept the ownership of this land by the Mbororos/Fulanis by faith as history is acceptable and studied in schools.

Be informed here that if you cease this land by force using your human authority and connections to the regime, and they cry to God as they are also children of father Abraham, that University will not see peace in its borders. Terror will be in its campus all the days of its existence. Take this Prophecy very seriously as it concerns the oppressed in your land-MBORORO/FULANI people. The rain/sun of God is also attributed to them and their families and cattle. The construction work will experience many deaths-note.

That lawyer too who deceived them and took their land should be careful and return it back to them with apologies. These are the very people Jesus died for them no matter their loyalty to Mohammed.
A word to the wise is sufficient-Amen. Let my brother Martin Yembe and Prophet Ntemfac take over to rightfully advice the Bishop so that the money should not be invested and not be beneficial to the masses
that need to benefit. The CPDM gov't of Bia will do nothing as it is a gov't of blood shed.

Yours in His Vine Yard,
Rev.(Papa) Taku-Ayuk Moses- Daniel to the oppressed



From: Roufaou Oumarou <rouffaou@yahoo.de>
To: cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com; Sarli Sardou Nana <ssnana@live.co.uk>
Sent: Sunday, March 3, 2013 3:17 AM
Subject: Re: [Bulk] [cameroon_politics] Archbishop of Bamenda Expels 300 Mbororo from their Homes

 
Thanks for sharing the information , Mr Achobang. The CACUC (Catholic University of Cameroon) is a very important project, but if the the price is to make 300 Cameroonians homeless, then the archdiocese has to look for alternative solutions.  Social Justice and Peace are also very important assets for the future students of the new university.   
Roufaou Oumarou  Brusselsesteenweg 437  2800 Mechelen  Email: Rouffaou@yahoo.de  Tel: +32 488 353436 (mobile)  Web: http://blog.oumarou.net
On 03/03/2013 09:48, Fon Christoper Achobang wrote:
 

Archbishop of Bamenda Expels 300 Mbororo from their Homes
By Christopher FON ACHOBANG

His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua, Archbishop of the Bamenda Catholic archdiocese has issued a quit notice signed on 20 January 2013 for the 300 Fulani (Mbororo) of Wumse-Ndzah quarters in the Bamenda III Subdivision, of Mezam Division, North West Region of Cameroon. They were told to quit their houses and farms in 10 days without alternative lodgings arranged. This was to make way for work to begin on the Catholic University of Cameroon CATUC.
The Mbororo are not squatters and settled on this land around 1904 coming from Ngaoundere. In 1933 a certificate of occupancy of this land was issued by the Resident British Officer to the Bamenda Division, recognizing the Fulani as owners. By Cameroon's Land Tenure Law they could proceed to transform the occupancy certificate into a land certificate.
Today, the Fulani have built permanent homes and are farming and grazing around their homes. According to Mr. Cosmas Jobain, in charge of lands and micro projects at the Archbishop's office in Bamenda, the Catholic University of Cameroon, represented by His Grace Cornelius Fontem Esua initially applied for 73 hectares, and is being awarded 63 hectares. This leaves the Mbororo homeless and nothing to eat.
The Divisional Officer of Bamenda III Sub Division, Walters Tarkang Ayuk in complicity with elements at the Mezam Divisional Delegation of Lands and surveys, with vested interests have misled the Minister of State Property and Land Tenure, Jean Baptiste Baleoken to attribute a temporal concession of 46 hectares on 2 September 2011, at Wumse Ndzah to the Catholic University of Cameroon, represented by Archbishop Cornelius Fontem Esua. The application for 46 hectares is to avoid the hurdle of waiting for a Presidential Decree for concessions as from 50 hectares. Even so, the Minister should only attribute a temporal lease if the President of the Republic endorsed the application for a concession upwards of 30 hectares.
According to the Archdiocese of Bamenda, construction of the CATUC is a huge development project that will cost a whooping FCFA 55 billions, (US$110,000,000).  Cosmas Jobain states that they paid out compensations of FCFA 18,717,736 for buildings, and FCFA 4,866,500 for crops. Meaning a total compensation of FCFA 23,584,236 was paid and no further compensation will be paid, according to the Archbishop.  
Ardo Adamu Bi Mamada, the chief of the Mbororo claims he was never consulted or entered into any negotiations with the Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda. He further claims that he received no compensation from the Archbishop and none of the Mamadas, rightful heirs of the Mamada Estates collected money from the Catholics.
Meeting behind closed doors in the office of the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) of Mezam, Nguele Nguele Felix on Friday 1 March 2013, Mr. Enow Junior, Divisional Delegate of Lands for Mezam Division supported the claims of Ardo Adamu Bi Mamada that Mamada did not take part in meetings concerning the land concession to the Catholics.
Earlier on 1 March 2013, the Mbororo community represented by nine members presented a petition to Mr. Adolphe Lele l'Afrique, Governor of the North West Region. The petition in parts read, 'As a peace loving and law-abiding Muslim community, we wish to bring to your attention that this matter is being considered as a war waged by the Christians on Muslims. To avoid any bloodshed as is the case in neighbouring countries with the Al-Qaida and Boko Haram,…' the Catholics should among other things withdraw peacefully from Mamada Estates to avoid bloodshed.
Mr. Enow Junior told the SDO that he advised Ardo Mamada to collect money and leave the land as it is National Land with no land certificate in the name of the Mamada Estates. The Divisional Delegate of Lands said Ardo Adamu could not stop government from carrying out a development project.
Abdul Karimu Shehu, representative of Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association MBOSCUDA, took the floor and barely holding his tears, asked whether they were expelling the Mbororo because they are an ethnic minority. "Mbororo or Fulani people have equal rights and responsibilities like all other Cameroonians. I am disappointed that a government authority presented their land for acquisition by a private institution. The catholic mission is a private religious institution. As Muslims, we have our prayer grounds here and cannot allow the Catholics to desecrate our land."
Enow Junior said they had surveyed and provided a new site for resettlement in Bambili. "We will drive away the Bambili people who are farming on the proposed resettlement land for the Mbororo." Enow said.
"Are you going to police the land to avoid yet another farmer-gazer war in the North West? Where were you when the Bali went and destroyed property and burnt houses in Bawock six years ago? Where were you when Fon Doh Gah Gwanyim II mobilized his thugs to burn, loot and destroy a whole quarter in Bambalang village?" Asked Abdul Karimu Shehu.  
"Please, in the name of Allah, there are enough ethnic crises in Cameroon. Do not worsen the situation by displacing 300 Muslims who have been living peacefully on their land to resettle them on a land in dispute. You are sacrificing the Mbororo community because of money you have received. Stop this injustice in the name of Allah or you will bear the consequences." Abdul Karimu Shehu warned.    
The Mbororos who are treated like wanderers in Cameroon and are marginalized, are considered as a nomadic minority with no rights. Surrounding tribes always believe Mbororo still have to move to some other land. The Ndzah people who arrived the area, as hunters, at the same time as the Fulanis believe they have more rights to the land than the once nomadic Mbororo. The Ndzah treat the Mbororo as a no-people.
Cosmas Jobain enters this depersonalization of the Mbororo by telling Abdul Karimu that "whether you call those your people in Ndzah, Mbororo, Fulani or Ganako, I do not know. "
Some influence peddling is reported and many violations of the law are noticed in the process of the application for land lease by the CATUC representatives, and the processing of the application by the DO of Bamenda and the land and survey department.
The administration of Bamenda III claims the Fulanis were living on National Land so could be evicted without any due recourse to determine whether land is encumbered or not. The Fulanis have a certificate of occupancy which is being ignored. The land is encumbered as the Fulanis have effectively occupied it and are living in houses built with permanent materials.
The said assessment of the properties of the Fulanis is flawed and the compensation the Catholics claim they have paid is inadequate. The Catholics should not have gone to the land in the first place. They were misled by the rival Ndzah people, but are tenaciously pursuing the land concession because they believe, as an ill-informed minority, the Fulanis cannot and will never stand up for themselves.
The area the Fulanis are asked to relocate to is cultivated by the Bambili people of the Tubah Sub Division of Mezam Division, North West Region. They have threatened to fight the Mbororo if ever they attempted to step on the land.
The North West Region is a very volatile part of Cameroon with many farmer-grazer problems.  The actions of the local administration and the Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda are tantamount to an infringement on the rights of the Mbororo and a provocation of war, in the words of the Mbororo themselves.
The Governor of the North West and the SDO of Mezam were not aware of the looming crises. Many stakeholders are not informed of the steps being taken by the Catholics and the corrupt local administration to illegally dispossess this indigenous people of their homes, farm and grazing lands.
Reverend Michael Bibi, Chancellor of the Bishop's house in Bamenda said he was not aware of the arrangements and could not comment. He said in the absence of His grace Cornelius Fontem Esua Mr. Cosmas Jobain could explain the land deals which he did to the best of his knowledge.
Mr. Cosmas Jobain refused to discuss the details of the Quit Notice from the Archbishop. He confirmed it was signed by the Archbishop and I should wait for his return from Europe to get the man of God's comments. Jobain said the amount paid as compensation to the people by the Archbishop was proposed by the administration.
If the said compensation of FCFA 23,584,236 is shared among the 300 souls in Wumse-Ndzah, each community member will have only FCFA 78,615 for the rest of their life.  What will happen to future generations, their farms and grazing lands? Nowhere in Cameroon would the Mbororos ever be able to replace the homes they are going to lose with the derisory amounts they were paid.
The Ardo (chief of the Fulani) Adamu Mamada, whose father founded the Mamada Estate in dispute, has refused to be associated with the activities of the administration. He has been arrested twice and tortured by police on the orders of the Divisional Officer of Bamenda III. He has a certificate of three weeks incapacity.
He was arrested when he hired a tractor from the former Prime Minister, Hon Simon Achidi Achu, to plow his Irish potatoes farm as he did every year. Ardo Adamu says that a bailiff accompanied by the police, on orders from the Archbishop came and seized the tractor and took it to Bamenda III Sub Division. When he arrived there he was ordered into the police office where he was tortured mercilessly. On asking who gave the orders he was told they were orders from D.O. Walters Tarkang Ayuk of Bamenda III.   
A certain Dr. Alfred Ndi, close friend of the Mamada Estates is alleged to have benefitted from the chaos which he himself describes as the "…conflict between the Fulanis, leading to outsiders coming to claim lands for themselves." Dr. Ndi Alfred has caused the family of the Ardo (mostly illiterate) to convey 45 hectares of their ranch to him. He has speedily erected a small hut on it in what he calls "a buffer against the Catholics." Some members of the administration are alleged to be awarding themselves plots on remaining parts of the disputed land.
Ardo Adamu says "I have just realized that Dr Ndi Alfred whom I trusted was an Arab's Carmel. He asked to bask in the warmth of our household and is now trying to throw us out, by taking advantage of our illiteracy and ignorance ."
Abdul Karimu fears that if the Government of the Republic of Cameroon chose to sacrifice the Mbororos, it would be creating a bigger problem.  "The dispossessed Mbororo, in the absence of resources and any means of survival will be recruited into terrorist groups. The young girls will be sold into sex slavery, child prostitution, or to child trafficking rings and the young men will become armed robbers."
Bamenda depends on the water catchments on the hills for potable water in town. Abdul Karimu says "where the survey people want to resettle the Mbororo is a watershed and when cattle graze in the forest the catchment will be seriously threatened by deforestation, leading to erosion and scarcity of potable water. Secondly there are many rocks in the area which will destroy the hooves of cows leading to foot disease."
Ms Mairo Mamada, representing theMbororo women said, "As the Ardo was opposed to the Catholics we advised that nobody should take money from them. I do not know how much was given. Since my father never took money, I will never take it. Mamada hill is all I know. I have never been anywhere else. I know only Ndzah. If they are giving money, I am supposed to know. I will live and die here"
The Governor had told the SDO, "These people are here because the Archbishop gave them a quit notice. I am sending them to you to determine whether the attribution was properly done."
On his part, the SDO, after reading the Quit Notice from the Archbishop and the petition of the Mbororo and listening to the Land and Survey delegate for Mezam and other stakeholders, said he was going to determine whether there were irregularities with the attribution of the temporal land concession to the archbishop and then call all stakeholders to a meeting. 

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