Construction of Limbe Deep Sea Port kicks off in November
The Sun Newspaper No 0222 reported that the construction of the long awaited seaport in Limbe, SW Cameroon would commence this November with its location being moved from the original site Ngeme to Isongo given that the new site is deeper and fewer people live there making the cost to the environment and indemnities less. This was the result of a feasibility study conducted by a consultancy firm, Limbe Port Development Corporation. This sea port is expected to receive an average of 200, 000 containers every year at start up. Experts say the port will generate 20,000 jobs.
Forestry Minister pays 3-day working visit to the Southwest Region
The Minister of Forestry and wildlife, Ngolle Phillip Ngwese has paid a 3-day working visit to the Southwest Region, to see for himself the problems afflicting his sector. According to The Eden Newspaper, the Minister began his tour on August 29 in Nguti Sub-division where he held a working session with a cross section of the population to discuss the problem of land grab pitting Sithe Global Sustainable Oil Cameroon,(S.G SOC), a consortium of the US-based agro-industrial plantation, Herakles Farms and the inhabitants of Nguti. The paper recounted that S.G SOC in its contract form is supposed to plant palms and not exploit timber, unfortunately the consortium had not respected the terms given that they could not plant palms without felling trees. The Minister took time to explain to the people that the file of this consortium on this particular issue was no longer at his level, but at hierarchy’s. He called on the people of Nguti to invest more on tree planting in order to maintain their forest. From Nguti, the Minister made a stopover at Kumba where he visited the depleting Southern Bakundu Forest Reserve. Minister Phillipe Ngwesse according to this same paper expressed dismay at the encroachment of the forest Reserve by some unscrupulous farmers. He instructed that the farmers be evicted from the Reserve.
Herakles Farm Case is not at my level-Minister of Forestry
The Sun Newspaper No 0222 equally reported on the Minister of Forestry’s 3-day working visit to the Southwest Region. The Paper quoted the Minister Ngolle Phillip Ngwese saying the case pitting Herakles farm and Cameroon is not at his level but at the hierarchy of the country. The paper recalled that in April, the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) made the encouraging decision to suspend Herakles’ efforts to develop a 73,000 hectare palm oil plantation in south west Cameroon. The US-based corporation was attempting to push ahead with the project, despite widespread opposition from communities concerned about losing their lands and livelihoods, allegations of corruption and violations of national law. According to this paper, since these crucial issues remain unaddressed, it is worrying that this decision was reversed with no explanation as yet, only for the Minister to say that the case is no longer at his level.