In Cameroon Tigers Change their Spots

There is an English saying that a “tiger never changes its spots.” Applied to human life, this will indicate constancy, consistency and steadfastness. For an individual to be described as a tiger that does not change its spots it would mean that character is unwavering and stands by its vision of things in all circumstances.

Recently, there has been much talk of the unpredictable and wavering character of Bruce Wroebels, CEO of Herakles Farms (HF) and Sithe Global Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SG-SOC). Over the years, Bruce Wroebels has had his way playing institutions, partners and employees like pawns on his social Darwinistic chess board.

Concerning the bringing of HF to Cameroon, it is on Bruce Wroebels' records that he was attracted to Cameroon by John Demarco, a Canadian who had lived and worked in Cameroon for over nine years. Both North Americans met at a meeting and engaged in a conversation on investing in Africa. Bruce spoke excitingly of his interests in oil palms as the future revolution in agriculture and food production.

John asked Bruce if he has ever thought of investing in Cameroon.

“Where is Cameroon?” Bruce asked. John described Cameroon as a future oil palm Eldorado.

Bruce asked John to write a proposal for him to study and decide. John did but unfortunately received a negative response, “No, thanks, I am not interested” from Bruce Wroebels.

Three months later, John was surprised to receive a letter from late Dr. Isidore Timti that he had just acquired 73,000 hectares of land in Cameroon on behalf of HF for an oil palm project and wished that John came to Cameroon and did the plotting and mapping.

When John studied the intended concession area, he concluded that it was never going to work. Isidore Timti reassured John that it would be good for him to come to Cameroon and work for HF. John accepted the offer and landed in Cameroon.

His first disappointment with HF came from the Environmental Impact Assessment study he was presented, which he judged as seriously flawed and an unrealistic falsification. He informed HF that following the cause it was taking, HF was doomed in Cameroon and proposed changes that will make HF workable and acceptable. Bruce was annoyed and fired John.

Before John left, he sent his recommendations to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and two other environmental organizations informing them that HF was a hoax. I am sure John still regrets having brought HF to Cameroon, just like Timti regrets facilitating HF's implantation.

Bruce reacted by describing John as an incompetent employee who had to be fired and is now acting in frustration.

Bruce and HF continued this whish washy attitude in its discussions with the communities where they intended to set their oil palm plantations.

In order to begin negotiations with the government of Cameroon (GoC) HF went to the communities for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assure government that the communities had embraced project and was ready to host HF. In 2009 some of the communities in Mundemba and Nguti signed MOUs with HF to enable the latter obtain authorization from GoC to prospect in Cameroon. HF promised the communities it will come back to negotiate conditions for cession of its lands. Since 2009, HF has refused to discuss anything with the communities and has unilaterally mapped and planted beacons and pillars throughout the forest.

From Manyemen in Nguti to Fabe in Mundemba, HF prefers to bribe a few elites than negotiate with the communities. Elites like Honourable Chief Mbile, Daniel Agoons and Chief Dr. Atem Ebako are on the payroll of HF, whereas they should have been on the side of the communities.

It is worth commenting on the personalities of Hon Chief Mbile who is currently member of Cameroon's anticorruption unit, CONAC. As a member of CONAC, Chief Mbile is supposed to fight corruption in Cameroon instead he has been an assign and agent. HF corrupts Mbile to corrupt elites of his communities to enlist among HF supporters.

Daniel Agoons was in charge of Public Relations and Communication with Korup National Park, one of the largest environmental conservation projects covering an area of 129 thousand hectares in Ndian Division of the South West Region of Cameroon. In this position, Daniel convinced his brothers and sisters of the Korup of the sacredness of conservation of the biodiversity of the Korup National Park. Daniel was a passionate communicator for conservation and protection of the environment.

In WWF Cameroon, Living Earth Cameroon and World Agro-forestry Centre Cameroon, Daniel pontificated for the environment. Daniel Agoons is not the only environmental conservation activist who has changed his spots. Dr. Ekobo Atangana who until two months back was deployed to head the South West regional offices of WWF covering the Korup area has changed his spots from conservation and moved over to HF where they will clear 73,000 hectares of pristine rainforest.

These departures of environmental conservators and their joining HF, which has no respect for the environment is causing sleepless nights among some environmental enthusiasts who have not yet joined HF. If folks who worked in conservation like Denis Anye, Elvis Oben, Blessed Okole and many others can turn their environmental coats to join HF which is posturing to clear 73,000 hectares of pristine rainforest, then the future of humanity is bleak.

Cameroon is a unique place where people are not passionate about the things they do, even though their statement of motivation was passionately in defense of the objectives of the position they were to fill. Apart from just paying lip service, they excel in betraying the institutions they are supposed to be protecting.

Patriotism is not a hallmark of the Cameroonian. The first oath taken by the Cameroonian president is to “… protect and defend the constitution and the laws of the land.” The Cameroonian constitution, today, is an unwanted blemish on toilet tissue that the President tears and washes down the toilet drain at will and HF is exploiting this situation to its advantage.

Corruption is rife in Cameroon and the security man on the highway can auction the whole country for less than a dollar as a bribe from the dangerous contraband dealer. Bruce Wroebel has found favourable grounds to excel in his bribery and corruption in Cameroon. After all, with less than one dollar as incentive, tigers in Cameroon environment are ready to change their spots.

Even if Bruce Wroebels' recruits change their spots just as the GoC and its corruptible appointees, the one thing that emerges from the communities in Ntale, Bombe Konye, Mungo Ndor, New Konye, Badun, Ekita, Talangaye, Ediangor, Ebanga, Ayong, Sikam, Manyemen, Betock, Mboka, Lipenja I, Fabe, Meangwe II is their resilience in opposing HF to the last drop of blood in their veins.

If by any means HF succeeded in getting the GoC to cede any part of the forests of Nguti and Mundemba to the environmental plague called SG-SOC, they will be shocked as the people will not change their spots. The crime will be challenged in the next legislature and courts of Cameroon. Heads will roll and HF will brand Cameroon a frustrated country.

Fon Christopher Achobang, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63 Buea

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