The Minister of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), Ngole Philip Ngwese has paid a three-day working visit to the South West Region to evaluate major problems facing his Ministry. He began the visit in Nguti Sub-division on August 29, 2013 where he held a working session with a cross-section of the population. His principal concern was to lay to rest the problem between the villagers of Talangaye, and Nguti in general over the Sithe Global Sustainable Oil Cameroon, (SGSOC) case.
This bone of contention has caused the State to react. It was as a result of this that the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife took time off to explain the situation to the population. He noted that the file of SGSOC on this particular issue was not at his level. However, whenever hierarchy would instruct him to allow the consortium to go ahead to sell timber, he would not hesitate to do so. "I am just a mere servant obeying instructions from hierarchy. Government's machinery grinds slowly but surely," he said. He called on the population to invest more in tree planting in order to maintain their forest. With emphasis on reforestation, he visited the young nurseries of SGSOC and appreciated the work done.
The Nguti visit was an opportunity for the Minister to meet Valentine Mouyenga, Managing Director Cameroon Agricultural and Forestry Exploitation Company (C.A.F.EC.O.) who took him round the factory and gave explanations on how the timber company functions.
From Nguti, another stopover was in Kumba where Minister Ngole Philip Ngwese visited the Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife, Southern Bakundu Forest Reserve situated between Balangi and Bombe Bakundu. There, he expressed dissatisfaction with the encroachment and destruction of the Forest Reserve by some unscrupulous farmers in the area. He called on the South West Regional Delegate and his subordinate in Meme to do a serious follow up to see that they evacuate the farmers from the area.
While in Fako, the Minister visited the Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife in Buea. He then moved to Limbe where he visited the Botanic and Zoological Gardens. At the end of the visit, he appreciated and congratulated his collaborators for a good job. He promised to solve problems raised in no distant time.
