Mayor Begins Environmental Protection Tree-Planting Project in Buea

ANAFOR Signs to give technical assistance to the project

By Christopher Ambe Shu

The Mayor of Buea, capital of Southwest Province-Cameroon and the management of the National Forestry Development Agency (ANAFOR) with headquarters in Yaoundé on March 14 in the Buea Council Hall signed a three -year convention of collaboration with regards to the implementation of a giant environment-friendly tree-planting project of Buea Council. ANAFOR is a public institution charged with supporting reforestation and the promotion of forest plantations in Cameroon.

Mayor Charles Mbella Moki (pictured) appended his signature for the Buea Council and Njombe Ewusi Bruno-Deputy-General Manager of ANAFOR did same for his boss at the signing ceremony, which was witnessed by officials and workers of both institutions, as well as journalists.

By the convention, ANAFOR shall give full technical support to Buea Council in its tree-planting project, and “ help realize the planting of council forests and support reforestation with school premises and certain areas chosen by the council,” according to an ANAFOR information sheet made available to the press.

It emerged at the ceremony that, some 40 kilometers of streets will be planted with trees in the Buea council area. Other benefits for the council include: reinforcement of capacity of council officials and workers on sylvicultural techniques, the amelioration of revenue of surrounding populations and creation of job through the maintenance of planted plots, the embellishment of the council surroundings through the planting and development of ornamental species and finally the preservation and restoration of the environment.

Mayor Moki, who in his first term of office started a tree-planting project in Buea which was not successful, noted that, he is more determined now to tree-plant the municipality. He said the Buea Council just adopted a huge budget to ensure that the tree-planting project this time is a great success. “This project is going to build or beef up our efforts towards environmental protection and preservation”, the mayor said. “This project starts almost immediately”

For his Part, Njombe Ewusi, Deputy- General Manager of ANAFOR said , “We are coming to give technical support to Buea Council and accompany them through out the project.ANAFOR is not a funding agency but part of our mission is to search for funds for tree-planting..”

The ANAFOR convention with Buea Council came shortly after similar ones with Tiko, Kumba 1& 2 councils, and after those signed last year with the councils of Abong Mbang Angossas, Bertoua rural, Dimako, Doumaintang and Messamena in the East of the country.