Piece of land earmarked for grabbing by Kumba City Mayor
A resident of Kumba, Fofana About Ngute Daniel, has accused Kumba City Mayor Gregory Ntemeyok Mewanu of scheming to seize his land located in the strategic Alaska Street vicinity of the municipality.
In an audio message that has already gone viral, Ngute says the City Mayor is using his position to access the corridors of power in Yaoundé and Buea in order to dispossess him of his piece of land. In the now viral audio, Ngute said he has been the owner of the said land on which is a two-story building nearing completion.
Ngute said the house which he described as his retirement home, has not been completed because of what he claims are machinations by Mayor Mewanu to take over the land.
A report published by the Guardian Post on the issue quotes Ngute who said he is in possession of a land certificate No: 01983 of 5 August 2011, legally making him the owner of the land. He said the land was registered in his name at the Kumba land registry. Ngute who said the piece of land is a product of his over 25 years of labour in the United Kingdom, said, the battle between him and Mewanu over the piece of land was dates back to 2012.
Ngute said, he and Mewanu had been before the then State Prosecutor for Meme, Justice Batuo Paul. Then, Ngute said, Mewanu had nothing to justify his claim of being the owner of the said land.
Ngute regretted that after becoming City Mayor, Mewanu has again doubled his efforts, using his new office and power, to try and dispossess him of his land. While urging authorities to intervene, Ngute in the audio said, “In 2012, when the State Counsel asked, Gregory Memanu was not able to produce any piece of document. But today because he is the City Mayor of Kumba, he has gone right to Yaounde claiming that he owns my land. I followed the outlined procedure to obtain my land certificate. The land was paid for. I have all the necessary documents”, he said.
Detailing what he said is his labour to own the property, Ngute narrated that: “I have been living in the UK for over 25 years of my life. This is the only land I have got. I don’t take people’s things. Sometimes my family doesn’t see me, I will get up at 3am only to return at 11 pm just to see how I can make my own money. This is my retirement home”. Going by him, but for the Anglophone crisis, and claims from Mewanu, he would have finished the house he is constructing on the land.
Ngute Makes Distress Call, Plea To Authorities, Nfon Mukete
While accusing the City Mayor of using his position to oppress him, Ngute made a desperate call to authorities and those in competent offices to help render justice, and save his land from the prying City Mayor. Among others, he called on the Paramount ruler of the Bafaw and Nfon of Kumba, Nfon Ekoko Mukete IV to use his throne as a royal farther, and enable him get justice.
“Gregory Mewanu is trying to use his position to seize my land and this will not happen. I call on of the Nfon of Kumba, His Royal Highness Nfon Ekoko Mukete IV , please your majesty look into this issue” Ngute appealed.
Using his case as an example, Ngute said , most Cameroonians fear to invest back home because of what he termed “motives”. He stated that: “This is why some of us don’t invest back home because whenever we try to develop, people come with motives. How can people be talking about irregularity? I paid every franc government asked for. I don’t pay bribe”.
Controversial Letter From Lands Minister
In its report on the case, Cameroon’s The Guardian Post said it stumbled on a letter that dates back to May 10, 2022 purportedly written by State Property and Land Tenure Minister Henri Eyebe Ayissi to Ngute on the same matter. The letter titled “dispute over land certificate no. 01983/Meme” does not carry the name and seal of the minister.
The said letter talks of a petition from the Kumba City Mayor, stating that, “a commission of inquiry shall be going to Buea to ascertain the regularity of the above land certificate”. The letter indicates that Ngute will be notified by a bailiff “at the behest of the petitioner”. About the said letter, Ngute claimed “it shows that Gregory Mewanu is using his position to take my land…”.
