The University of Buea is in a tussle with natives of Bulu village in Buea subdivision, Fako division in the South West over an 87 hectares piece of land.
Following the destruction of crops and other valuables on the disputed piece of land few weeks ago, the pioneer Vice-Chancellor and senior citizen of the city of Buea has penned a strongly-worded letter to the minister of state property, surveys and land tenure.
In the letter dated October 14th, 2020, Prof. Dorothy Limunga Njeuma accuses the ministry of state property, surveys and land tenure for playing an unfortunate and unpatriotic role of encouraging those she calls “…encroachers and destroyers…” to invade the university land destroying demonstration farms of the students of the faculty of agriculture and veterinary medicine, optic fibre cables and foundation for the construction of the faculty of laws and political science.
She states that “It is alleged that some of the persons involved in the encroachment last week include staff of the ninistry in Fako division.
“I believe that the encroachers and destroyers have been encouraged in their actions by corrupt administration of Fako that misled you to sign letter No 6280/l/MINDCAF/SG of 1st September 2020 addressed to the vice chancellor to inform him that the SDO of Fako has requested to reduce land certificate No 02694/Fako and 02695/Fako to retrocede both disputed parcels to the Bulu community,” she said.
The one time director-general of Buea University Centre says it is inconceivable that the ministry which is supposed to protect state proper will contemplate the retrocession of 87 hectares of university land “…to individuals who have as sole intension to sell to unscrupulous Fako administrative officials”.
Dorothy L.Njeuma reminds the ministry that the administrative bench of the supreme court of Cameroon has quashed ruling No.SWAC/LSP/003/2019 of the South West administrative court and also cancels a letter from the ministry of 1st September 2020.
To her, she has the moral obligation to state facts of the land issue clear after spending a greater part of her teaching and administrative career at the university of Buea.
Dorothy Njeuma, today board member of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) frowns at the actions of the people of Bulu community saying “if the people of Bulu have sold all their land in the village including the graves of their ancestors, it is immoral for them to collude with unscrupulous so called Fako chiefs and individuals who now want to continue the same malpractice by usurping university of Buea land. If you and corrupt Fako administration are so mindful of the welfare of the people of Bulu village, it will be better you offer them land elsewhere.”
The letter states that this is the second time Prof. Dorothy Limunga Njeuma is writing to the ministry of state property, surveys and land tenure on the issue of land-grabbing in Fako division in the South West region of Cameroon.
The University of Buea has promised to drag to court individuals encroaching in the land belonging to the university.
In a letter from Prof. Ngomo Horace Manga, Vice-Chancellor of the university, he called on the student community to remain calm for the law to take its course.
Despite this, he stated that the university is ready to destroy any structure put in place on the disputed piece of land.
Mbatho Ntan.
