Nkwenti Simon SDO Donga Mantung
Motia Daniel Dione, Divisional Officer of Ako SubDivision in
Donga Mantung Division of the Northwest Region, reportedly turned down a visit
to Gidanjukun where over 200 refugees from Nigeria are settled, on pretext that
the Chief of Bebejato village Fon Ngumba Godlove had planted a charm to harm any administrator
who passes through his village to the dispute ridden Gidanjukun. Given that the
DO was to act on instruction of his Boss, the people of Ako are taken aback by
this outright flaunting of the Senior Divisional Officer’s instruction by his
subordinate the Divisional officer of Ako Subdivision.
This part of the Subdivision is flooded by refugees running away
from a tribal war in Taraba State of the Federal Republic Nigeria. Gidanjukun quarter
of Ndaka village that has been under Ako subdivision is now a disputed area
between Ndaka in Ako Subdivision and Bebejato in Misaje Subdivision. The
Divisional Officer for fear of his life following the dead threats directed at
any administrator passing through Sabongida,
is said to have refused to visit
the area to ascertain the circumstances of their escape and condition of living
now in Cameroon.
On a telephone chat,
the DO of Ako narrated to Eden that on his way to Gidanjukun following the
SDO’s instruction, he received a call from the Ardor of Gidanjukun informing
him that the Chief of Bebejato village has planted a harmful charm on the
entrance to Sabongida against any administrator passing to Gidanjukun. On this
premise, his security adviser told him that if the Divisional Officer insist
and go there, it might spark an outrage and in the course he might be shut and
blamed on Ambazonia fighters. According to the DO he thought the matter was
just as simple as just to go count the refugees and ascertain their living
condition but it turned out that there was more to it that meets the eye.
The DO of Ako says Misaje is now
claiming Gidanjukun which is a quarter of Ndaka village in Ako SubDivision. Gidanjukun
in Ndaka is under Ako following a Decision by then Minister of Territorial
Administration and Decentralization Marafa Hamidou Yaya and so far no other
decision challenging the first one has been issued to support the claim of
Misaje over Gidanjukun. This decision was signed since 2005 and has not been
countered by any other decision which by implication Gidanjukun is still under
Ako subdivision.
When this reporter
enquired from the Mayor of Misaje, Mgbata Sammy, he said the area belongs to
Misaje and that there is a map to that effect. And that the SDO of Donga Mantung
had given him the go ahead to do assessment for revenue collection at
Gidanjukun for it belongs to Misaje. Reason why the Chief of Bebejato has
placed an injunction stopping the DO of Ako from accessing Gidanjukun through
his village is that he saw a school signboard attributing Gidanjukun to Ako
instead of Misaje and he seized the signboard from the Ardor of Gidanjukun and
said no such thing can happen on the land he claims to be his. Mayor Mgbata
Sammy also explained to this reporter that the SDO had told the DO of Ako that
if he was going to Gidanjukun just to meet the refugees, he should go but to do
other things he should not.
Statistics
from Gidanjukun as summited by elite of the area Fatou Phina Yerimah indicates
that 221 refugees are in presently at Gidanjukun. 70 are children ages between
1 to 9 years accompanied by 70 women ages between 10 and 60 while men ages
between 15 and 60 are 81 bringing the total to 221 refugees left with little
food and water, no medication nor shelter. So far the Ndaka people and Muslim
community in Dumbu have been trying to provide these refugees with the little
they can afford. Some of the refugees successfully escape with their cattle to
Gidanjukun.
When Eden contacted the
SDO of Donga Mantung for clarification on Saturday morning, he said the welfare
of the refugees was being taken care of and that administrative authorities
went visiting and 20 bags of rice was donated by the DO of Misaje and the
Muslim community of Dumbu headed by Sariki Awalu, also went visiting with food.
Quizzed on whether he was aware that the DO of Ako went visiting and is
reported to have been blocked by the Chief of Bebejato given that he placed a
charm against the DO of Ako not to visit Gidanjukun. SDO Nkwenti rather
expressed surprise that such a thing happened and he is not aware. To the best
of his knowledge he has it on record that the DO of Ako which he instructed to
go to Gidanjukun and assess the situation of the refugees went there except the
DO told him a lie. The SDO reiterated that in matters of administration it is
not tolerated for any traditional ruler to interfere saying the Chief has only
his village and the DO administer a Subdivision. Had the Divisional Officer of
Ako drawn his attention to the Sabongida incident, he would have called the
Chief to order. The SDO concluded by saying the cause of the crisis in Nigeria that
led to refugees in Gidanjukun in Cameroon has been resolved and some of them
have gone back to Nigeria. The number of Refugees still in Gidanjukun is 153
and they won’t be forced to leave Cameroon rather they would be allowed to
choose either to leave or stay at their convenience.
The present management style of SDO Nkwenti Simon Doh has brought
down the several farmer/grazer conflicts that use to hunt the Division. With
just nine months at the helm of Donga Mantung administration the people hold
him in high esteem for the calm that reign in the Division most especially
Nkambe Central despite the ongoing crisis. This why he keeps on encouraging the
people of this Division to uphold the spirit of peace given that Government has
begun pumping in a lot of projects beginning with the Kumbo/Nkambe/ Misaje road
and the tarring of streets in Major Towns like Ndu, Nkambe and Misaje. The road
Misaje/Dumbu through Sabongida to the Border at Gidanjukun is already at an
advance stage.
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