There were three recurrent issues that made the headlines throughout Governor Okalia Bilai Bernard’s tour of Fako Division from January 6 to 9. These include the sensitive and explosive issues of land-grabbing, the recurrent chieftaincy wrangling and the poor execution of contracts by some ill-intentioned contractors.
The governor was not shy in addressing particularly the land issues to which the administration of the region had been linked in press reports. The governor came out strongly to confound his administration’s detractors putting the blame squarely on officials in the ministry of lands and some elite and chiefs.
In Limbe he pointed out the specific case of the Government Residential Areas, GRA, which have been sold by officials of the land tenure department and promised serious measures to those found guilty of these acts.
The governor like during the reunification preparations promised to arrest contractors who do not deliver the jobs by the February 15, 2015 deadline. Be it in Muyuka, Buea, Tiko, Idenau or in Limbe, Governor Okalia Bilai Bernard, governor of the South West Region in firm terms said he will not tolerate persistent chieftaincy disputes and noisemaking over CDC land surrendered to villages within Fako Division.
Governor Okalia enjoined the elite of the villages in Fako to shun persistent chieftaincy disputes and litigations.
“I will not tolerate it when the names of administrators are dragged to the mud. May I remind you that the administration does not create chiefs, neither does it appoint chiefs…We are only there to recognise the chiefs chosen by the various villages guided by their customs and traditions,” Okalia said.
Buea, Tuesday Jan. 6
In Wonjia village, just like during the rally organised in his honour at the esplanade of the Molyko Omnisport Stadium, Governor Okalia advised the elite to play a more positive role in the chieftaincy problems in their villages. According to Okalia, the elite should take their responsibility and stop laying blames for their failures on administrators.
“…It is not the role of administrators to create or appoint chiefs. Our role is to recognise them. I’ve told my SDOs and Dos to remain impartial with matters of chieftaincy and that is what they are doing,” Okalia said. The governor challenged the population to organise themselves and work with their chiefs so as to judiciously manage surrendered land.
Okalia praised the Wonjia Village of Chief Njie Mandenge and Wokaka village of Chief Njombe Njoke Johnson as models of villages were surrendered lands are judiciously managed.
“…stop wasting time no intrigues, blackmail, calumny and slander because all of these can only lead to self-destruction,” Governor OBB advised.
At the end of his tour of Buea, the mayor of Buea, Ekema Patrick Esunge told the governor that Buea after the 50th anniversary of reunification is an emerging city in an emerging nation.
He lauded the Okalia-led administration for handling the chieftaincy problems in Mapanja, Wonya-Mavio, and Bonakanda among others.
Ekema renewed the support of the people for their administrators, stating that those who dragged the names of these esteemed administrators into the mud are prophets of doom.
Ekema however called on government to among other things handle the perennial water problems of Buea and to make provision for the maintenance of the infrastructure that came to Buea during the anniversary celebration of reunification.
In response, Okalia said government is leaving no stone unturned to maintain the Buea, the post 50th anniversary of reunification town.
Okalia said the creation of the Buea City Council and the creation of new administrative units are being studied by government and that a satisfactory response will be provided at the appropriate time.
Muyuka mayor asks for security, farm-to-market roads
Mayor Nkeng Michael Akamin, Mayor of the Muyuka Council has presented a litany of needs and problems of his municipality to the Governor of the South West Region, Okalia Bilai Bernard.
Nkeng was addressing the Governor OBB on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 at the grand stand of government school Muyuka on the first day of the Governor’s Socio-economic sensitisation tour.
The mayor said Muyuka being the breadbasket of the South West Region has grown into a cosmopolitan municipality, with a rise in criminality, banditry, rape, alcohol abuse and with its roads in a sorry state.
According to the mayor, insecurity is on the rise in the villages of Bafia, Ikata and the cocoa hub of Munyenge.
As such, the mayor told the governor to see to it that a police and gendarmerie post are set up in Munyenge so that the cocoa rich village will not give a filled day to thieves and hoodlums.
“Munyenge is big and rich, but the efforts of honest and hardworking citizens are threatened by insecurity,” Nkeng said.
He went on to say that “the farm-to-market roads are in a sorry state. Moving from Muyuka to Muyenge is a bumpy ride, dangerous to persons with fragile health.”
Flashing back on the cholera outbreak in Muyuka in the 1980s, the mayor said the people of Muyuka living in Ikata, bafia and Munyenge have a right to portable water.
In summarising his plea to government, the mayor said the Muyuka man needs only three pressing things from government: roads, water and electricity.
In a swift response to the worries of the people of Muyuka as presented by their mayor, Governor OBB said the dynamic and resourceful people of Muyuka deserve more and government will stop at nothing to meet their needs.
“…I have come to exchange views with you and find solutions to your immediate worries,” Okalia said.
Okalia congratulated Mayor Nkeng for coming back home to proffer solutions to the worries of his people, enjoining him to advise other Cameroonians in the Diaspora to do same.
“…tell our brothers in the Diaspora to come and join us. The country needs them now. They should forget about others who say nonsense on the media and come home so we can develop Cameroon together,” Okalia said.
The governor said development can be got only through the participatory approach. He promised that before long, security will be beefed up in Munyenge to protect hardworking and honest Cameroonians. He however advised the people of Munyenge to shun the certain practises that hinder development.
“…People of Munyenge should stop misusing the fruits of their labour. Stop heavy drinking, womanising and wasteful spending… be development focused, “the governor advised.
OBB advised the people to join government in the fight against terrorism, criminality and health disasters like Ebola, HIV/AIDS among others. The governor paid visits to SOGEA SATOM, IRAD Ekona, Source du Pays, VIMA Company and the Muyuka Council before communing with the population.
Limbe brings out its best; Zang III, Dima honoured
Limbe, chief town of Fako Division was the last lap of the governor’s tour and brought out its best. The governor himself was amazed with the massive turnout of the Limbe population.
The ceremony took off with the decoration of the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako Zang III and Mr Dima Gabriel as Officer of the National Order of Valour and Knight of the National Order of Valour respectively.
The Government Delegate to the City Council in his speech and on behalf of the population of Limbe welcomed the governor and further expatiated on the compliments and plight of the city. “We are confident that at the end of this tour by the Governor Okalia Bilai Bernard, a lot is going to change” he affirmed. “We know you and you know us too” he added.
Starting with the compliments, Mr. Motanga recounted that the town hosts structures like the lone oil refinery in the country, SONARA, marking that the city is also a home to the largest agro-industrial complex and second employer after the state the CDC. Not living out the shipyard project based in Limbe. He said in addition to that, Billion CFA Francs-Maritime Academy in Wovia.
He also mentioned the Vocational Training centre near Moliwe and the Handicraft centre not far from there. The Boss also explained that, above all, Limbe is also a host of potential of being a strong tourist destination which is the slave trade village in Bimbia, adding that the councils have done and is still doing its best in improving the living conditions of the people.
On the other hand, Mr Motanga also listed to the governor the worries of the masses which are as follows; the vast natural deep seaport begging to be developed and also mentioned that the private sector needs to be encouraged to do better. “We can do better if can be given our dues” he sounded serious.
Mr Motanga went on to insist that Limbe is a town of opportunities and as such there is need to create more opportunities for investment especially in terms of cottage industries so as to create more job opportunities.
Moving on, the council boss hammered on the issue of water, electricity and chieftaincy which are major problems in the municipality and warned that if not handled properly and urgently, the peace and tranquillity that have existed will be jeopardised.
Still for the general cry of the masses, the Government Delegate pleaded that there is more to be done as far as road and infrastructure with the town preparing to host the female and male African nation’s cup. “Knowing your passion and love for Limbe, we are sure we shall get to where we want before those important rendezvous”. He concluded.
In his address, Governor Okalia Bilai Bernard who expressed his pleasure to return to Limbe the town of friendship where he had worked for seven years as Senior Divisional Officer living behind memorable and concrete actions. He explained that this time in another capacity he has come to listen to the people in other to seek for solutions and also to confirm that benefits given by the state is reaching the people. He goes further to show his admiration for the city of Limbe “the representatives of commonwealth were filled with admiration for the economic attractions during their visit to Limbe”. He confirms.
He went further to affirm that Limbe is a laboratory of national unity and is a host of a lot of state economic power houses. Moreover, he said the state has done and is still doing much as development is concerned in the city, explaining that the state cannot do. Then he moved on by warning contractors who were awarded projects to complete them before the end of January and failing to do so will entail the arrest of those concern. Besides, Mr. Okalia assured that Batoke will soon have electricity and also that there will a modern VIP ward in no time in the Regional Hospital.
He went further to condemn terrorist actions in any form and insisted that no act of criminality will be compromised in the neighbourhood. ”Terrorism is even more dangerous than Ebola because the bullet of the gun knows no mother and daughter nor no father and child”.
Talking on the issue of chieftaincy dispute he was so offended by it and told the people to preserve their tradition. He stressed on the fact that the government does not appoint chiefs but recognises the chiefs chosen by their people. Thus, he called on the people of Limbe not to miss the train of development of the new era and should be ready to take their destiny into their hands and not put the blame on the administrators.
The governor warned CDC surrendered lands are not personal properties of chiefs or that their relatives and friends. Insisting that, those who are involved in auctioning land especially at the Bota-Middlefarms quarters should be alert of future consequences.
The governor was accompanied through the tour by regional delegates and heads of some corporations such as ENEO, Camerounaise des Eaux etc.
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