- Say ‘Fako lands not subjected to Human
Rights’
BY ATIA TILARIOUS AZOHNWI
Fako chiefs have risen against
Christopher Tiku Tambe, South West Secretary General of the National Commission
on Human Rights and Freedoms for being vocal about the management of land
surrendered to them by the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC.
In a strongly worded communiqué,
April 16, signed by Samuel Epupa Ekum, President of the Fako Divisional
Conference of Traditional Rulers and the Presidents of the sub-divisional
chiefs’ conferences, the chiefs say Tiku Tambe is hiding under the Human Rights
office to extort land from them.
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| Tiku Tambe |
According to Tiku Tambe, land
matters in Fako have become a human rights problem because “we are talking
about deprivation, the right to own property, the interest of women and youth.
If women and youth are dispossessed, it becomes a human rights issue. If land
meant for the community is sold, it becomes illegal. It means the chief is no
longer serving the interest of his people; he’s serving his personal interest.
He testified here that he sold land, even though he claimed it was just three
plots of land. We want to put it to him that it is illegal and he has to take
responsibility.”
Tiku Tambe insists that they are
ready to name and shame any administrator involved in this business of illegal
sale of land. On the said edition of CRTV Press Club, Tiku Tambe said a certain
Zang III has grabbed several hectares of land in Fako. He wondered if the said Zang
III was the Senior Divisional Officer for Fako, adding that if it happens to be
the case, then the said Zang III would have used his position to get the land
and will be brought to book.
Chief Kaka Esue Daniel of Bokwai
Village, Thursday, March 27, confessed that he is under pressure from the Fako administration to sell land
surrendered to his community by the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC.
But Fako chiefs say “we are
distancing ourselves from all those unwarranted and castigating statements
directed to certain personalities and authorities and clearly state here that
Fako Lands are not subjected to any human rights interest stories by Tiku Tambe,
whose Manyu elites and traditional rulers expect a better decorum at the head
of the South West branch of the Human Rights Commission.”
They go on to call all the chiefs
of Fako “not to give any credence to Tiku Tambe’s invitations which are geared
towards extorting portions of their surrendered lands through intimidation,
threats and blackmail.”
Talking to Cameroon Journal
from Yaoundé, Tiku Tambe said “the Fako chiefs don’t have the intellectual
capacity to judge my action and to draw the line between the workings of the
commission and my person.”
Tiku Tambe maintained that as long
as Fako land is sold illegally by chiefs in complicity with administrators and
if the populations keep on complaining to his office on the issue, he will seek
justice.
“I don’t summon on my own merit.
I summon when I receive petitions against them…I summon to get their own side
of the story. Since they started giving them land, how many have I asked from
them? I have enough money to buy land. I’m from Manyu, but I’m the regional
secretary of the commission which has jurisdiction to handle such issues. I’m a
Cameroonian and can work anywhere,” Tiku Tambe said.
He described the disclaimer by
Fako chiefs as the last kicks of a dying horse. He said if ever a chief
violates any summons from the commission, the provisions of the law creating
the commission will come to play.
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