Open Letter from CEO of Herakles Farms in Response to Report On ...
Open Letter from CEO of Herakles Farms in Response to Report On ...
Open Letter from CEO of Herakles Farms in Response to Report On ...
- No tags were found...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
and flora. However, listen<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>to</strong> Chief Nangea Felix <strong>of</strong> Fabe on camera, he states that their forest is<br />
very rich as no one has ever gone there <strong>to</strong> cut trees. Daniel Agoons, a runaway environmentalist and son<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Mundemba soil can enlighten Bruce, <strong>of</strong>f-camera, <strong>of</strong> the realities which HF want <strong>to</strong> present through<br />
a twisted prism <strong>to</strong> the world.<br />
I do not know whether Bruce Wrobel expects <strong>in</strong>ternational NGOs <strong>to</strong> advocate best on behalf <strong>of</strong> local<br />
populations, or he hates little known SEFE. As a matter <strong>of</strong> fact, SEFE was not created <strong>to</strong> fight HF. SEFE<br />
has been exist<strong>in</strong>g s<strong>in</strong>ce 1984 and the records can prove this. As a Civil Society Organization, CSO, with<br />
an <strong>in</strong>-depth knowledge <strong>of</strong> the environment and issues, SEFE articulates just the basic aspirations <strong>of</strong> the<br />
people <strong>of</strong> Mundemba <strong>in</strong> particular and the whole South West <strong>in</strong> general. CED and RELUFA are also<br />
trusted as some <strong>of</strong> the most objective voices for environmental and <strong>in</strong>digenous rights issues <strong>in</strong> Cameroon<br />
and were not created <strong>in</strong> 1994 for the expedience and expectation <strong>of</strong> the advent <strong>of</strong> <strong>Herakles</strong> <strong>Farms</strong> <strong>in</strong> 2009.<br />
Less I forget, <strong>Herakles</strong> <strong>Farms</strong> would have consulted and should be consult<strong>in</strong>g these organizations, <strong>in</strong>stead<br />
<strong>of</strong> allow<strong>in</strong>g itself <strong>to</strong> be duped and dragged <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> error by unscrupulous <strong>in</strong>dividuals like Dr. Isidore Timti,<br />
Chief Dr. Atem Ebako, Daniel Agoons, Hon Chief Mbile et al.<br />
HF observations about the function<strong>in</strong>g democracy and legal system <strong>in</strong> Cameroon are premature as it<br />
wishes <strong>to</strong> use this praise <strong>to</strong> further push the country <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> a dismal vortex and implosion. If Bruce trusts the<br />
legal system <strong>in</strong> Cameroon, he should subscribe <strong>to</strong> it and not allow ulterior motives <strong>of</strong> ga<strong>in</strong> <strong>to</strong> drive his<br />
actions. If that legal system is so trusted, why did HF not discuss the settlement for Dr. Issidore Timti’s<br />
contributions <strong>to</strong> <strong>Herakles</strong> <strong>Farms</strong> <strong>in</strong> a law court than through the j<strong>in</strong>goistic dog-eat-dog tactics the<br />
company used? If company trusts Cameroon legal system, why will it <strong>in</strong>struct its Site manager, Leslie<br />
Njume <strong>of</strong> Fabe <strong>to</strong> ambush, assault and cause bodily harm <strong>to</strong> Nasako Biss<strong>in</strong>gi <strong>of</strong> SEFE? Why does HF<br />
believe that elim<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g an opponent like Nasako Biss<strong>in</strong>gi will s<strong>to</strong>p opposition <strong>to</strong> the project?<br />
Opposition <strong>to</strong> the Project<br />
From his ivory <strong>to</strong>wer <strong>in</strong> New York, it is not possible for Bruce Wrobel <strong>to</strong> know the depth <strong>of</strong> the<br />
opposition <strong>in</strong> Mundemba, Toko and Nguti aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>Herakles</strong> <strong>Farms</strong>, its agents, assigns and all its activities.<br />
If it is difficult for the governor <strong>of</strong> the South West Region, resident <strong>in</strong> Buea 200 kilometers <strong>from</strong><br />
Mundemba <strong>to</strong> know what is happen<strong>in</strong>g there, how much more for HF <strong>in</strong> New York. If it is difficult for the<br />
President <strong>of</strong> the Republic <strong>of</strong> Cameroon <strong>to</strong> know what is happen<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the MINPAT (M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> Plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and Terri<strong>to</strong>rial Development), where the country is auctioned under the nose <strong>of</strong> the one who is supposed<br />
<strong>to</strong> jealously protect the terri<strong>to</strong>rial <strong>in</strong>tegrity <strong>of</strong> the land, how much more for an Economic Hit Man like<br />
Bruce Wrobel, with no DNA aff<strong>in</strong>ity nor political commitment <strong>to</strong> Cameroonians, and who is ready <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p<br />
at noth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> have its way and grab 73,000 hectares <strong>of</strong> prist<strong>in</strong>e forest <strong>in</strong> Cameroon?<br />
Let me state here for the records, and <strong>in</strong>dependently <strong>of</strong> Oakland Institute, which I do not know, that there<br />
is widespread opposition <strong>of</strong> about 80 percent <strong>to</strong> the project. I have patiently gathered dozens <strong>of</strong> pages <strong>of</strong><br />
petitions aga<strong>in</strong>st the project. Thousands <strong>of</strong> signatures have been collected <strong>from</strong> the Mundemba area alone<br />
<strong>from</strong> people protest<strong>in</strong>g the grabb<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> their lands. To be precise, 3364 people have signed their<br />
opposition <strong>to</strong> the project <strong>in</strong> the 23 villages <strong>of</strong> Toko and Mundemba sub divisions.<br />
There are 23 villages <strong>in</strong> the concession area; 1) M<strong>of</strong>oko Bima, 2) Ngenye Bima, 3) Esoki Bima,<br />
4) Mokange Bima, 5) Fabe Bima, 6) Lipenja II Batanga, 7) Meangwe II Ngolo, 8) Ndiba Ngolo,<br />
9) Meta Ngolo, 10) Beboka Bima, 11) Kuma Bima, 12) Lipenja II Batanga, 13) Iwai Bima, 14)<br />
Mobenge Ngolo, 15) Bwene Ngolo, 16) Mokango Bima, 17) Massaka Bima, 18) Manya Batanga,<br />
19) Mayeke Batanga, 20) Bareka Batanga, 21) Esoki Batanga, 22) Loe Batanga, 23 Ikondo kondo<br />
I.