Land disputes in Kumba:

Settlers at war with indigenes in Mukonje

-Over 100 protesting settlers march on DO’s office

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Police block proteasting settlers marching on Kumba DO’s Office with placards

Some over 100 disgruntled settlers in Mukonje village have demonstrated their anger over the non-respect of the terms of land leasing agreements they signed with the Mukonje traditional council.

                Unable to come to terms with what they consider as total disregard for their rights, the irate settlers last week took to the streets, protesting against what they consider as injustice on the part of the Mukonje traditional council with regard to ownership of land at the Mahole quarters in Mukonje. The disputed neighborhood harbours the site that noe harbors the permanent site of the Higher Technical Teachers Training College, HTTTC Kumba.

                The protesters on Thursday 8 June 2017 took to the streets blocking the road leading to the DO’s office. They demanded The DO, Gilbert GubaiBaldena, to intervene and cause the Mukonje traditional council to respect the land agreement it initially had with them.

                The protest, The Median gathered, erupted from two major concerns; the decision by the traditional council to evict those living and occupying land in the area but who cannot show any documented proof of ownership indicating that they bought the land or that it was given to them by the village and the information relating to a demand of FCFA 1.2 million as traditional rites fee plus two bottles of a special brand of whisky each costing FCFA 25 000.

                It was for these reasons that the disgruntled and helpless settlers who are mostly of the Bamileke extraction stormed the DO’s office calling on him to use his high office to come to their aide.

                While at the office of the DO, the protesters denounced the said traditional rites fee levied on them by the traditional council. The settlers revealed that in some  decades back they used snuff, whisky and other items to buy land from the traditional council and no original documents were provided as demanded now by the traditional council.

                While reacting to the sundry complaints and plea of the frustrated Bamileke settlers, the Divisional Officer, Gilbert GubaiBaldena requested them to present to him the original documents showing that they are owners of the said land that are today been chased away from or go back and settle the issue with the Mukonje traditional council amicable.

                Some of the protesters who cannot show proof of land titles revealed that apart of offering snuff, tobacco and whisky to the traditional council, some of their parents had even worked in the farms of the Mukonje landlords before they could be compensated with the said pieces of land.

It should be recalled that this recent development of the said disputed piece of land has only aggravated after the many people thought the situation will be layed to rest with the laying of the foundation stone of the pedagogic and administrative block at the site to host the HTTTC Kumba campus.

                It should be equally be recalled that Saturday April 8, 2017 disgruntled occupants of the over 500 hectares parcel of land lying and situated at Mukonje village between Total Filling Station Three Corners and Dschang Quarters allocated for the construction of the Higher technical Teachers Training College (HTTTC), Kumba had demanded a total of 13 hectares from the government as compensation. The same disgruntled occupants on Friday June 2, 2017 stormed the occasion to lay the foundation stone of the pedagogic and administrative block of the HTTTC with placards demanding compensation from the government.

                In the midst of all these land imbroglio, the Mukonje traditional council seems to be washing her hands off any shady deals by indicating that they have obtained land titles for all of such land thereby making its present inhabitants illegal occupants. Sources equally closed to the traditional council debunked all allegations of FCFA 1.2 million saying that the money is an aggregate of what is needed to open up streets and process other documents needed to settle any confusion among land owners. The same sources say part of the money is handed to the delegation of state property and land tenure for the procession of land titles.

                Despite the heated debate and confusion surrounding the whole issue, the Chairman of the Mukonje Traditional Council, Otto Abange Alexandre is yet to make an official statement on the issue.