2018 Tree Planting Campaign:

MINFOF Disburses FCFA 69m to Five SW Councils

By Boris Esono in Buea

Governor Okalia Bilai plants a tree to launch the 

2018 Tree Planting Campaign in the SWR

The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, MINFOF has made available the sum of 69 million FCFA to five councils for the planting of trees in the southwest region. This was during the launching of the 2018 reforestation campaign for the SWR in Buea. The theme this year is “Together let’s fight against climate change by restoring degraded forests”. 

            The councils include: Buea, Tombel, Kumba I and III and Mbonge.

            16 conventions were also signed between the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and the five councils selected.

            The beneficiaries were divided into two categories: councils benefitting for the first time and those that already had conventions with the MINFOF. The first category received FCFA 5million each for the establishment of 12.5 hectares of tree plantations of five thousand trees each, while the second category got FCFA 7million each to plant 17.5 hectares of five thousand trees each.

            Following statistics from MINFOF, in the last six years the ministry has put at the disposal of councils, NGOs, CIGs a total of 617 million (six hundred and seventeen million) for the planting of 1,850 hectares of tree plantations in the SW.

            To the SW delegate of MINFOF, Isola Dipanda, various measures have been put in place to see to it that the beneficiary councils effectively carry out tree planting in their council areas.

            “This year will not be like past years as there will be serious follow-up of the implementation and execution of the project. The follow up will be done by the respective chiefs of post who will work together with the recipients… Sanctions provided by the Ministry will be applied on those who misuse the funds.”

            For his part, Governor Okalia Bilai noted that since 2006 that some councils signed conventions with the MINFOF, the implementation of the conventions has remained a cause for concern, with most councils not respecting the clauses in the convention and this at the detriment of their municipalities.”

            The Governor called on the various councils concerned to make judicious use of the finances put at their disposal. He noted that sanctions await defaulters who will misuse the finances.

            “A team from MINFOF will soon be deployed to the various council areas to verify their implementation,” he said.

            In his presentation, Bidima Antoine Georges, Regional Chief of Service for Forestry indicated that forest reserves are facing serious threat of extinction and if care is not taken the remaining forests will disappear.

            It is our wish that we see the Southern Bakundu forest reserve back to its initial stage.

            “There is need to sensitize the population on the need for tree planting while also prosecuting beneficiaries who fail to plant the trees as required.”

            The wish of the various officials is that this year’s Restoration exercise is more successful than previous years. According to statistics, the success rate is still very low.