'Survivors Are Expectant'

The Divisional Officer for Fungom Subdivision in the Menchum Division of North West Region, Egbe Edward Forzah, in the following interview with Cameroon Tribune, talks about the situation in the Lake Nyos area, 27 years after the gas explosion.

What is new about Lake Nyos, 27 years after?

Perhaps, I should say that 27 years after the disaster that hit the lake and the inhabitants of Nyos and neigbouring villages, all the survivors are expectant, anxiously waiting for the government to declare the area safe for habitation so that they can return to the home of their ancestors.

Every year this time around, members of the association of Lake Nyos survivors and elite come back home and carry out commemorative activities. They often come with gifts of didactic materials to children of survivors but as at August 20, 2013, I had not received any invitation for any such activity this year. Away from that, general calm reigns around the lake with a lot of works to consolidate the dike or dam to prevent it from any future collapse.

It is a huge project, besides the smooth de-gassing process to keep the lake and its environment safe. For now there is no threat. The area is not very dangerous but not yet good for settlement.

But, there is evidence of settlement around the lake...

Apart from those carrying out works and those ensuring security, the others are hunters and some farmers whom we do not intend to chase away but we prevent further settlement until the area is declared safe for habitation.

What constitutes the daily worries of survivors?

They are settled in camps with only one hope of returning to the land of their ancestors. Perhaps, I should also say that there is a general situation of misery and the government has been working to bring hope to them. Recently, we were in the camps distributing gifts of food items, agricultural and livestock tools, school fees and clothes from the government to keep them hopeful; until an enabling environment is ready for them to return to Nyos and its neighbouring villages.

They cannot return without schools, potable water, a security post, agriculture and livestock posts to serve them since the Nyos area is on the Ring Road. There is indeed hope with works on course to facilitate their return.