The International Lands Coalition, ILC, an NGO headquartered in Rome, Italy, on September 10, donated improved seeds to Mbororos in Bamenda II Subdivision.

The Mbororos are those who were displaced some months ago following a land dispute with the Catholic University. The tested, improved seeds, comprised legumes, corn, beans, carrots and potatoes.

Describing the gesture from the ILC from Rome as great relief that will restore pastoral life and farming in Ndzah, the Ardo of Ndzah Adamu Mamada, thanked the Mbororo Cultural and Development Association MBOSCUDA, who presented the plight to the ILC, which sponsored the buying of the seeds including material for reconstruction of houses that were demolished.

The National Vice President of MBOSCUDA, Musa Usman Ndamba, said the emergency support from the ILC comprised of three phases; restoring the livelihoods of the Mbororos through farming by giving them high yield seeds, providing shelter and legal aid.

He praised the Community Assistance in Development COMAID and COMINSUD and members of the Northwest Lands Observatory who ensured they were equitably distributed.

One of the founders of MBOSCUDA, Abdul Karimu, in his capacity as a resource person for Ndzah, said; “A university is good, but life first, so that the children can pursue education in a peaceful environment”.

He said the building material and farm inputs are the express needs of the Mbororos. Dwelling on land rights and corroborating Christian Jitar Taku of COMAID, he said so many communities are suffering because they have not been sensitized on land rights which Cameroon is a signatory to.

A highlight of the event included the laying of a foundation stone to begin reconstruction of Ardo’s palace.

It would be recalled that, the Catholic University authorities of the Archdiocese of Bamenda had acquired hectares of land and paid compensation in millions to the Fon of Ndzah, custodian of the land who, in turn, arranged with some of the indigenous Mbororos community resident on the hills of Bamenda II.

When the Catholic authorities started exploiting the land in preparation to construct the university campus, the Mbororos who settled on the land for several decades, protested that the money the Fon of Ndzah and the administration gave them was too small. They would not allow the Catholics go beyond the 46 hectares first allocated to the university by the Mezam administration.

When the workers of the Catholic University who came to bulldoze the land were attacked, the Archbishop of Bamenda, Cornelius Fontem Esua, withdrew from the land and forfeited the money, saying his church stands for peace.