CDC: Facing Challenges of Land Encroachment, Felling of Palms Trees

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CDC: Facing Challenges of Land Encroachment, Felling of Palms Trees

Amid the corporation’s ambitions to increase production, revive operations and pay salary arears of workers, the State- owned agroindustry continues to experience attacks from individuals in quest for land.

26 Aug 2026 14:26

A t a time when the government is pushing for an in crease in palm oil production to curb imports within its import-substitution policy and when CDC is striving to revive its operations and put the State-owned agroindustry on the rails again following prolonged armed separatist crisis in the English-speaking regions, some individuals claiming to be representing the Moslem Community in Mutengene are bent on des troying the corporation. On Thursday August 20, 2026, they brought in chainsaws and cut down some 52 young palm trees planted in 2016. They are said to be claiming some 13 hectares of land at the Esuke Section of the Bota Palm Estate located in Ombe, along the Mutengene-Limbe highway. According to CDC workers who were harvesting nuts in the plantation, the invaders stormed the plantation with armed military and security men, threatening to arrest any of the workers who will dare to challenge them. The CDC workers who expressed frustration and anger at the destruction of the plantations (their livelihood), said the armed military and security men who accompanied the invaders disappeared when soldiers guarding CDC plan tations showed up. It should be noted that this is the second time the supposed Moslem Community in Muten gene is encroaching into CDC plantations and destroying palm trees. Earlier this year, the same group cut down palm trees at the Ndongo Section near the Tiko Gulf. Though CDC mana gement has acknowledged that the group of individuals had applied for 44 hectares of land from CDC to construct a Mosque and other facilities, the said application has not yet been granted by the govern ment. CDC General Manager, Frankline Ngoni Njie has stressed that no parcel of CDC land has been surrendered to the said Mutengene Moslem Community by CDC. The destruction of the plantations, the GM stated, is “life threatening.” “There is a laid down proce dure for surrender of parcels of CDC land. That procedure has not been followed to the latter. This land has never been surrendered to the Mutenge ne Moslem Community. They applied in 2023 and we made it very clear to them that it is not possible for this area to be recommended for surrender,” Kebbi Ekwille, CDC’s Property Manager told reporters. The CDC senior official regretted that the palms cut down were planted in 2016. “Just 10 years old palms which are at their prime. This is a very high yielding area. The yiel...