Tiko Land Crises Saga: 352 Applicants on state land in Tiko still await Minister’s authorisation!

While waiting on the approval of the Minister of Lands to give an authorisation permitting some 352 Cameroonians who applied for state land to go ahead with the establishment of certificates which will permit them finally occupy their plots, a lot of water seems to be passing under the bridge with same land being confiscated by local chiefs in collaboration with local Government Officials.

According to an Affidavit of Representation number HCF/221/AF/B dated January 21, 2013 empowering the Cameroon Real Estate Corporation as Legal Representatives to follow up with Land Certificate for applicants on the Private Property of the State in Tiko Sub Division compiled by Barrister Nteamah George Fonju of the Fonju Law Firm in Tiko, 352 applicants were involved. In the same vein, the Chairman of the Cameroon Real Estate Corporation, George Fonbah has in a telephone conversation confirmed such a commitment and has called on applicants on State Land in Tiko Sub Division to wait for the Minister’s authorisation to enable them comply with Decree of allocation since he can only follow up with their land certificates only after the approval of the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure.

George Fonbah further intimates that the Prime Minister’s Office in a letter dated June 19, 2013 had already asked the Minister in charge of Lands to make the approval. He states categorically that until everyone complies with strict respect of the provisions of decree No. 76-167 of 27^th April 1976 to establish terms and conditions of management of the Private Property of the State, any occupation of plots on the various layouts will be infringing on state land and will attract legal action. Emphasising his point, the Executive Chairman of the Cameroon Real Estate referred to the initiative of the Ministerial decision No. 3650/Y.2.6/MINUH/D210 of September 1,1988.

George Fonbah is of the view point that citizens, such as these waiting for ministerial approval to go ahead with the occupation of their land are being “exploited through acts of deceit, false pretense, theft by Government officials, the Tiko Council and their agents who are now responsible for the deplorable acts on the private property of the state in the Tiko Sub Division.” 

The first pages of a lengthy affidavit of representation showing the beginning of a lengthy list of applicants for state land in the Layouts in Tiko.

The Chairman of CREC states that while Cameroonians are waiting for the Minister of Lands to authorize about 352 Cameroonians to go ahead with the establishment of documents that will permit them occupy plots for which they applied, traditional chiefs in collaboration with some local authorities in Fako Division and specifically in Tiko Sub Division are in contradiction with certain decrees and statutory procedures already interfering in these same plots.

The Layouts directly involved in this land saga are the Likomba Commercial Layout with 187 applicants of State land, Likomba Residential Layout with 27 applicants, Long Street Layout/ Extension Layout with 23 applicants, Holtforth Layout Water tank with 20 applicants, Mutengene Layout Buea Road with 85 applicants, Mutengene Layout Limbe Road with 10 applicants. 

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