Cameroon:Mayor of Buea begins demolition of irregularly constructed buildings

 *Says time for urban disorder in Buea  is over

Buea Council bulldozer breaking down irregularly constructed building in Clerks Quarter 

By Christopher Ambe

David Mafani Namange, mayor of Buea , Thursday, March 26, swung into action by   launching a campaign of demolition of irregularly constructed buildings - especially those blocking public roads and drainage system in the council area.

Buea, capital of the southwest region, is one of the towns in Cameroon where some people build without respecting town planning regulations.

But Mayor Namange, who is less than two months into his five-year mandate, has vowed to put a stop to the malpractice, which his predecessors appeared to have fought against it with little success.  

The demolition exercise began barely one day after torrential rains in Buea provoked floods in some neighborhoods, causing material damage, partly because several water paths were blocked by irregularly constructed structures.

After their assessment visit to the flooded areas last Wednesday, Southwest Governor Bernard Okalai Bilai and Mayor Namange resolved to immediately check irregular construction in Buea, to pre-empt any such disaster in the future.

 Mayor of Buea  David M. Namange (wearing hat) giving demolition instructions to workers .

Then, the calm-looking and soft-spoken Mayor Namange, on Thursday, led workers of the council’s Technical Service to begin the demolition.

As he swung into action breaking here and there, it dawned on the Buea public that the mayor’s actions would speak louder than his words, in the execution of his development blueprint for the “Town of Legendary Hospitality.”

For a start, the mayor’s demolition exercise took him to Great Soppo Market (opposite OIC Buea), Clerks Quarters, CAMSIC entrance and GRA, where some irregularly constructed structures broken down, watched by onlookers with mixed feelings. 

“I did not expect that the new mayor would start doing this…but it is good so that people should respect building regulations”, remarked a female bystander as the council bulldozer dismantled a structure under construction by the roadside in Clerks Quarter.

At Soppo Market, the mayor regretted that “toilets have been turned into shops and passages occupied and reduced to less than half-meter wide.”

As the unauthorized stalls were being knocked down by the council, some traders rejoiced about the decongestion while their owners wore sorrowful faces.

Mayor Namange condemned the haphazard building in Clerks Quarter, a government residential area, without regards to town planning regulations.

 “How can people be building and blocking other houses behind without leaving [breathing space] or giving them access to sunlight?” he wondered.

The mayor regretted that some of the defaulters had earlier been warned, but they instead tried, to no avail, to induce council authorities into bribe-taking.

“When they came we told them to go and do just the right thing, which they did not .Now we have helped them do the right thing”, Namange told reporters. Can you imagine that towards CAMSIC, near GHS Buea people are building on the road and blocking a water way that was constructed more than 25 years ago?”

The mayor noted that Southwest Governor has given a 15-day deadline for all blocked water ways in the town to be cleared, and that the council was already set for it.

“Those who think they will bring urban disorder in Buea,I want to let them know that it is over,” the mayor told reporters.

 “I was born in Buea, educated in Buea,I have worked in Buea,I live in Buea and now Mayor of Buea.“Nothing will stop me from doing what is right and lawful to make Buea a beautiful town. Anybody who thinks he will flaunt building regulations is going to face us in the next five years.”

The mayor said those affected by his first demolition exercise are people who had been given prior notice to regularize their situation but they did not heed the advice.

Questioned by reporters about the water crisis in Buea for years, the mayor promised to begin alleviating the situation by establishing boreholes in some neighborhoods.

The demolition exercise was preceded by a brief crisis meeting chaired by the mayor, which focused on the current pandemic, Coronavirus, the recent flood in Buea and the unfortunate comeback of motorbikes in Buea .

Mayor Namange urged the public to respect to the letter Government’s safety measures against the pandemic and vowed that his office would not allow the circulation of commercial motor bikes in Buea.

Cameroon:Minister told Buea Forest Reserve is being illegally occupied

Minister Jules Doret Ndongo in group photo with PSMNR-SW after the steering Committee meeting.

By Christopher Ambe

The encroachment  into  the  Buea Forest Reserve  reportedly by some  administrative  authorities  for the purpose of building houses  has been  vigorously  condemned  .

The condemnation  was voiced out  at  the first  Steering Committee meeting of the  of the Programme for Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Southwest region  ( PSMNR-SW  Phase IV) ,which took place, last March 13 ,at Buea Mountain Hotel and  chaired by Jules Doret Ndongo,minister of Forestry and Wildlife. 

Minister Ndongo gave assurance that evictions would rectify the situation.

PSMNR is a development programme of the Cameroon Government, co-financed by Germany through KFW (a German state-owned development bank) and its duration is four years (June 2018 –May 2022. The programme is estimated to cost 15million Euros. 

 Mrs. Mafany Julie Mbome,Southwest Regional Delegate for MINFOF,gave a review of recommendations and resolutions of the 2019 Steering Committee and level of Implementation, while Frank Stenmanns of GFA ,presented the key achievements of 2019( level of implementation,constriants and proposed solutions).

Other areas discussed at the meeting included the contribution of PSMNR to MINFOF, financial report and the adaptation proposal of PSMNR –SW to the socio-political situation of the Southwest region.

During the meeting, Senator Charles Moki regretted that some administrative authorities who ought to ensure the protection of the Buea Forest Reserve Area ,had instead encroached into it for building purpose.

 “When you look, you see how the forest is being destroyed”, he pointed out, to the attention of the Minister, who reacted by noting that that he would not condone illegality. 

The Mayor of Buea,David Mafani  Namange,confirmed  the worries of Senator Moki,about the illegal occupation of the Buea Forest Reserve. “What is happening in the area is a mafia,” he fumed.

At the end of the meeting, it was recommended, among other measures, that “  Buea Council in collaboration with the Southwest Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wild life should continue to fight against land sale and illegal activities in the Buea Forest Reserve; that they should also elaborate its management plan in order to ensure its sustainable management.”

The Mayor of Buea was particularly charged to “write to MINDCAF copying MINFOF about the current state of the Buea Forest Reserve” in order to get approval to immediately bring to a stop the creation and award of land titles in the reserved area.

The meeting also agreed “to explore possibilities of addressing climate change situation in the Southwest region.”

A budget of over 1.5 billion FCFA was adopted for the programme activities for  2020.

                                                                                             

CAMEROON:GOVERNMENT RESPONSE STRATEGY TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC (COVID-19)

SPECIAL STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, HEAD OF GOVERNMENT, CHIEF DR. JOSEPH DION NGUTE

"Ladies and Gentlemen,

In December 2019, the coronavirus outbreak was declared in the Wuhan Province of the People’s Republic of China.

Over time, it gradually spread to Asia, Europe and Africa, resulting in the death or quarantine of several people.

A few days ago, the World Health Organization announced that the coronavirus has gone from an epidemic to a pandemic, with over 170,000 cases in 146 countries, and about 6,500 deaths.

Cameroon, like many States in the world, is not spared by this pandemic. From the very first hours of its emergence, the  Government implemented a prevention and response plan aimed at stemming the spread of this epidemic.

To date, 10 people have been diagnosed with this virus in our country and are being treated by specialised services.

It should be noted, however, that so far no local outbreaks  of this epidemic have been recorded in Cameroon and the cases identified so far are persons who have recently been abroad or persons who have come in contact with them.

However, in the face of what now appears to be a global health crisis, the measures taken so far deserve to be strengthened to prevent the spread of this virus in our country.

Consequently, on the instructions of the Head of State, His Excellency Paul BIYA, an inter-ministerial consultation was held this Tuesday, 17 March 2020, to assess the situation and identify appropriate actions to be implemented.

At the end of this meeting, the President of the Republic instructed the following measures

As from Wednesday 18 March 2020, till further notice:

1. Cameroon’s land, air and sea borders will be closed: consequently, all passenger flights from abroad will be suspended, with the exception of cargo flights and vessels transporting consumer products and essential goods and materials, whose stopover times will be limited and supervised: Cameroonians who wish to come back home should contact our diplomatic representations.

2. The issuance of entry visas to Cameroon at the various airports shall be suspended

3. All public and private training establishments of the various levels of education, from nursery school to higher education, including vocational training centres and professional schools, will be closed;

4. Gatherings of more than fifty (50) persons are prohibited throughout the national territory;

5. School and university competitions, like the FENASSCO and University games are postponed;

6. Under the supervision of administrative authorities, bars, restaurants and entertainment spots will be systematically closed from 6 p.m.;

7. A system for regulating consumer flows will be set up in markets and shopping centres;

8. Urban and inter-urban travel should only be undertaken in cases of extreme necessity;

9. Drivers of buses, taxis and motorbikes are urged to avoid overloading: law enforcement officers will ensure they comply;

10. Private health facilities, hotels and other lodging facilities, vehicles and specific equipment necessary for the implementation of the COVID-19 pandemic response plan in Cameroon may be requisitioned as required, by competent authorities;

11. Public administrations shall give preference to electronic communications and digital tools for meetings likely to bring together more than ten (10)people;

12. Missions abroad of members of Government and public and para-public sector employees are hereby suspended;

13. The public is urged to strictly observe the hygiene measures recommended by the World Health Organization, including regular hand washing with soap, avoiding close contact such as shaking hands or hugging, and covering the mouth when sneezing.

These are difficult but necessary measures to ensure the protection of each and every one and to limit the spread of this pandemic.

In case of need, the public is invited to call the toll-free number 1510 set up for the mobilization of rescue teams.

The Government calls on the public not to panic, but to show discipline, solidarity and a sense of responsibility at a time when the whole world is going through difficult times.

Thank you."

PCC Moderator urges Presbyterians to lead in building a new Cameroon.

Rt Rev Fonki Samuel Forba reelected PCC moderator giving communion at his thanks-giving service in Buea.

By Christopher Ambe 

The Rt. Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba,re-elected moderator of the  Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) and Chief Shepherd of this Christian organization, has urged the over one million Presbyterians in Cameroon  to  wake-up and lead in the building of a new Cameroon, which should be  characterized by peace, unity, love, and social justice.

Rt. Rev Fonki   made the appeal in a thought-provoking sermon, Sunday March 15, during a thanks-giving service and the induction of the new PCC Synod Clerk, Rev Miki Hans Abia, which took place at the PCSS Buea field, attended among other dignitaries by Southwest Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai , Senator Mbella Moki and Balungeli  Ebune Confiance,Director of Cabinet at  PM’s  Office .

In his sermon, titled “Wake-up, Watch-out”, which drew inspiration from Revelation3:1-6, the Rt. Rev. Fonki, challenged Christians in particular and Cameroonians as a whole, to continue to do only what is morally and legally right in eyes of God.

“Presbyterians must wake up and contribute in building a new Cameroon, to become a land of peace and plenty,” he appealed, noting that Cameroon is a crossroad with several crises.

“Do you want a prosperous Cameroon?” he asked in his sermon and the congregation shouted “yes.” He thundered: “Then, Wake-up!”

“ As  [Christians] we should do the right things with the right motives;We should not play to the gallery; It is time to wake up ;If you were doing good, don’t drop it simply because everybody is doing the wrong thing..The moderator said “I believe here is still hope for Cameroon” in the midst of crisis.

 He urged Christians to wake up and strengthen what is about to die, shun all vices because when “you look up to God, His spirit dwells in you”

Rt Rev.Fonki was reelected, last November, by  the Synod of “Peace and Unity” of PCC as Moderator for a five-year tenure  and  Rev.Miki was elected the new Synod Clerk for a five-year mandate, to replace Babila George Fochang who served one mandate. 

Rev.Miki before his election as Synod Clerk was Parish Pastor of PC Bonamoussadi and Secretary of the East Mungo South Presbytery. 

Retired PCC Moderator, the Very Rev.Nyansako-ni-Nku, said prayers thanking God for the reelection Rt Rev.Fonki as Chief Shepherd of the PCC   and  the entire congregation joined the moderator and wife Rev.Mrs.Fonki  Perpetua  to give their offerings to God.

The PCC Moderator, who had been inducted at the beginning of his first mandate, inducted and instituted the new Synod clerk Rev.Miki as the Congregation cheered.
(Also published in The Horizon Newspaper,Cameroon,of   March 16,2020)