A cry of the Esu Man! The land palaver

The recent visit of the Governor of the Northwest Region to Esu in Menchum Division of the Northwest Region of Cameroon has continued to be at the center of conversations in the Northwest regional headquarters Bamenda.

It is no longer news that the reason for the visit was the dispute over land between the people of Esu and the Elba Ranch being the property of the recently classified richest man in Francophone Africa, Baba Ahmadou Danpullo.

While many question whether the land consultative boards around the area could not handle the matter others question if the ordinary Cameroonian mean anything to the government.

After the governor’s visit to Esu, what surfaced was the fact that the administration was handling the matter. As if only the administration needed to be heard, an announced press conference by the Fon of Esu on the 12th of January 2016 was called-off. Sources say it was called off by the Governor of the Northwest Region.

While questioning the outright deprivation of the Fon from his constitutional right to Freedom of communication and expression as guaranteed by the constitution with the provisions of law No 90/52 of 19 December 1990 as amended and supplemented by law No. 99/11 of July 1999, this reporter also worries about the Freedom of the press which is much talked about in Cameroon.

During a closed-door meeting at the governor’s bearing on the cancelled press conference, the Secretary-General of the region according to our sources expressed the worries of the administration with the Fon granting a press conference over a delicate issue which can disrupt the peace of the region and which the administration is handling.

What does History Say?

From what we gathered, history has it that it was in July of 1986 that Baba Ahmadou addressed an application to the then traditional ruler of Esu, late Fon Buh II for agriculture and grazing land. The application our sources in Esu explained requested land from a certain “big bridge after Esu to Ewo.”

One Mr. Ngwa and his soya beans farm were the direct victims since he occupied the land after the “big bridge”. Slightly above a year later in July of 1987, a letter was addressed to the then SDO for Menchum by the Esu traditional council allocating some land to Baba.

Our Source said the land was “located at Woundelle quarter from one Alhadji Waziri to the area near another Alhaji Malo. With the confirmation of a few villagers who spoke to us the piece of land offered to Baba was well defined for the Baba Ahmadou for his Elba Ranch Project as far back as 1987.

Three months later, to be more specific, in October 1987 after the arrival of Baba’s cattle to Esu village, our source went on; the Esu traditional Council and some Esu children expressed discontent by addressing a letter to the SDO for Menchum and a petition to the then Governor of the province. Both raised worries over the allocation of land to Baba Ahmandou.

According to them, the eviction of Mr. Mgwa, then his neighbours Alhaji Waziri and Alhaji Malo were indicative that more land has been acquired then allocated.

From what we gathered during the Governor’s visit, the Esu people say over 75% of their land is currently occupied by Baba Ahmadou and hence limited or no farmland. Water, they say, is another worry as they have to battle for drinkable water with Baba’s animals.

While noting that their interest is not to evict Baba Ahmadou from Esu but to get some of the land for farming, some of the villages say they will only resort to eviction when they cannot have some of the land back.

From what we gathered, the matter is in court and thus forbids this reporter from commenting. Notwithstanding as the High Court of Wum with its magnanimity seats on January 27, 2016, ruling to preserve peace is vital as according to Barrister Fon Nso Robert some 135 family heads, their wives, children and animals have lost their ancestral land yet Baba Ahmadou as a Cameroonian has the right to own property anywhere.