Minister Louis Paul Motaze made the pledge in Kribi on Monday December 13 after discussions with would-be displaced local population.
As prelude to the construction of the Kribi Deep Seaport and Industrial Zone in the South Region, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze has announced the imminent payment of compensation claims to the first set of 100 people whose land and property have already been bulldozed in readiness for the project. Making the disclosure last Monday December 13 in Kribi after discussions with concerned land and property owners, the Minister promised that the first set of beneficiaries will receive their money before the end of this month.
He said the FCFA 4.6 billion to be paid out to the people was already available, but government thought it necessary to first meet and explain to them the basis for the calculation of the claims, sensitize them on the stakes of the project and listen to what they had to say before construction begins. Minister Motaze explained that the project was not only about the Kribi Deep Seaport, but also the construction of an industrial zone around it and a railway line linking up the hinterland for the transportation of solid minerals for export. He said the construction company for the project that will take FCFA 24 billion in compensation claims had already been selected and was simply awaiting the go-ahead to begin work before the end of the year.
He described the Deep Seaport and Industrial Complex Project as a major investment that was in a decisive phase, with the bulldozing of the site expected to last about 8 months. He explained that the first set of compensation benefits will be paid in their entirety; while the other 200 people concerned would receive their own money progressively as their land and property are bulldozed to make room for the project. Minister Motaze added that all was ready for the take off of the project as the Head of State and Prime Minister had already signed the necessary decisions, the lists of beneficiaries and amounts published and posted in Kribi, and the project steering committee and compensation claims payment committee set up.
The Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Bakang Mbock who was also part of the three-person ministerial delegation explained that her ministry's involvement in the project was to help in sensitizing local people on its importance and the many opportunities it offers. She said local people needed to be sensitized on how to put the compensation money to proper use by investing some in income-generating activities.
The Minister of Housing and Land Tenure, Jean Baptiste Beloeken said any concerns raised during the meeting by local people had been given proper answers. He advised anyone with something further to complain about concerning the payment of compensation claims to channel them to the Senior Divisional Officer for Ocean, the Chairperson of the Compensation Claims Payment Commission. "All will be done to ensure that local people have a fair share of project contracts," he said. The first set of beneficiaries is from the village of Mboro, some 20 km to the South of Kribi where the port will be cited in addition to neighbouring communities. Some 26,000 hectares of land will be used for the project. In all, more than 300 local people are expected to benefit from compensation payments.
15 Décembre 2010 National - Economie Kimeng Hilton NDUKONG (Cameroon Tribune)
