By George Etoh Anzah
A distressed widow resident in Bamenda whose name The Horizon Newspaper got as Tafor Stella Asongwe has challenged Minister Paul Atanga Nji and sibling Noella Atanga to respect the law of the state.
This was during a sit down protest to what she termed as “illegality” in the occupation of a piece of land owned by her husband John Asongwe,of blessed memory. According to the information gathered, John Asongwe purchased the said land from Iban Joseph Atanga, father of Paul and Noella Atanga on 29th of September 1990. She explains that for over 25 years her family lived and exploited the said land without any objections and were in good relationship with the vendor.
A passerby cum witness Ngwa Fidelis testifies that “I served as a salesboy for Pa John Asongwe. When Pa Atanga told me he wanted to sell the piece of land, i informed John Asongwe (my boss) who became interested and moved down from Yaounde (his base) to purchase the land. I am surprised the ownership is being contested years after. In fact when Pa John Asongwe told me he is being dragged by Atanga Nji Paul on the land, I advised him to develop the land by building mini sheds or shops….that’s the little I know of the piece of land”.
Following the death of Iban Atanga, Minister Paul Atanga Nji sometime in 2017 is said to have filed a suit challenging their authority over the land and the land certificate. Stella told journalists in Bamenda: ” We were never notified of a case in court…of a sudden we were called and told that the land certificate has been cancelled. My worry is our where abouts is well known, we are reachable and have tenants who are petty businessmen on the so-called contested land who could reach out to us if need be,how come all these was done without our consent?”. She adds that after the judgment annuling the land certificate, the family proceeded to challenge the decision. Documents consulted and visited also suggest Minister Henri Eyebe Ayissi on 18 August 2020 further cancelled the deed of conveyance which gave rise to the land certificate ownership by Iban Atanga, husband to Stella and mother of many children . The said land located at commercial avenue, has NFC bank as immediate neighbour . The distressed widow holds that following the legal proceedings which the family had started she had hoped that the Atanga’s family will respect the laws of the state and let the judicial procedure take its course. To Stella’s surprise, the matter took a new twist. This time around Marie Noella Atanga had taken the driver’s seat to contest the land by praying an eviction. A motion on notice tagging 10 petty business persons was tabled to the court through her lawyer to hear the matter and evict the now driven away occupants despite proceedings still ongoing. While her reason for the motion remains unknown, Stella suspects it was to push through with developing the said land considering that the petty businessmen had erected movable containers for commercial purposes for some and roofing thatches for others. In the motion partly tagged “An order that all the respondents herein should be evicted from an Urban built on estate and land….” she is praying the court to order the business persons cum occupants to leave the said land. The court ruling in favor of the Atangas was immediately challenged by a state of execution which gave the business persons the legal ground to continue their trade.
How ?
According to legal experts a state of execution was immediately filed to challenge the decision and judgment by the court. To this understanding once a state of execution is filed no activity is permitted to be carried out on the piece of land, meaning pending further proceedings the Atangas could not hinder previous activities or stop same. However it turned out all sour.
New Twist:
Bamenda 1 Council deputy mayor was seen on the site sealing the shops and hindering the businessmen from going about their activities. She did so with the aid of a white, red and black colored seal plastic rope with inscriptions caution which she tied to a public tap and an wooden electric pole. This was not done without the presence of heavily armed gendarmes. The Horizon understands not only was she acting out of her jurisdiction but she was also doing a role that is reserved for bailiffs. Additionally, Monday 11th August gave birth to the height of surprises. Following a ghost town observation as has been the case with threats from separatists since the dawn of hostilities against the state forces, the businessmen returned to their shops,Tuesday 12th but the whole land had been sealed with new roofing aluminium sheets.
While they sought to know what is cooking they were only compelled to take their belongings off the said land as access had been grossly hindered.
Enter Stella’s Appeal to Paul Biya
During the protest on the contested land Stella and daughter carried cardboards with inscriptions “Minister AtangNji Paul and sister Atanga Marie Noella,Cameroon is a state of Law, Stop illegality and respect the law”. While another read, “Minister Atanga Nji Paul and family Let the poor and powerless breathe. Respect the judicial process”, a last had as inscription: “H.E Minister Atanga Nji Paul and family do the needful, respect the law and let justice prevail”. She used the cardboards alongside a message of appeal to the head of state,father of the nation to beckon on him to call to order his “son” someone who ceaselessly pours accolades to him to come to reason. Hear her: ” Papa Paul Biya help us,let justice prevail,we are not in anyway seizing this land from anyone,if the land is theirs let us follow the court cases and procedures and let the rightful owner be declared”.
Her declaration was done in Bamenda,Wednesday 14th August 2024.
