By DANIELA NEBA NGUM
The decision taken by the Mukonje Traditional Council in Kumba III Sub-Division to evict settlers who acquired land illegally in Mukonje village has forced over 100 people affected, most of them from the West Region, by said decision to stage a protest.
These victims matched from Mukonje on June 8, carrying placards with messages such as ‘we want our lands back’. They blocked the major highway and took the office of the Kumba III Sub-Division hostage for close to an hour.
Receiving the angry population, the Divisional Officer, D.O of Kumba III Sub-Division Gilbert Guibai Balderna expressed total disappointment with the approach taken by the victims.
He noted that the victims are protesting without legal documents to prove their ownership of the lands. The D.O later warned the settlers to always consult the village traditional councils before acquiring land.
He further advised the angry population to go and regularize their situation with the Mukonje traditional council and then obtain a valid land title or drag the Traditional council to court. He however warned against the latter considering that most of them hand no valid documents.
Not satisfied with the outcome, protesters warned that they will resort to war if that is what the chairman of the traditional council wants. ‘We don’t want war but if Otto Abange, the Chairman of the traditional council wants war let him tell us’.
Others have refused to leave the area on the grounds that their parents gave the Chief of Mukonje palms, loins, tobacco, kola nuts and other important items in exchange for pieces of land.
They postulated that they have lived all their lives in Mukonje without land dispute but all of a sudden they have been asked to evacuate from the land or comply with the modalities of the traditional council.
The SUN gathered that the Mukonje Traditional Council has levied the sum of FCFA 1.2million to all illegal land occupants, meanwhile those around the University of Buea’s Higher Technical Teachers’ Training College, HTTTC Kumba will have to add an expensive and well refined bottle of whisky to the amount.