Kashimbila Dam wipes out Gayama II

Gayama 2, Fungom Sub Division, the Cameroons: 14/5/2017:The area called Joining Water by most travelers between Nigeria and Cameroon in the Katsina Ala Basin has been completely submerged by rising water due to the construction of the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam by the Federal government of Nigeria.

The beacon, planted at Latitude 6; 49; 38.9280 N and Longitude 9; 57; 30.8989 E, acting as boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria is now underneath water as the rising water seems to modify even the footpaths and navigable portions of the Menchum or Mgbe rivers. Cameroon calls the river, Menchum while Nigeria calls it Mgbe.

Joining Water is a Y shape representing River Menchum and its tributary River Even (called Uwama by Nigeria), with Menchum or Mgbe being the main tributary of the River Katsina Ala. All these rivers take their in the Cameroons.

On the upper side of the Y was found Gayama 2 in the Cameroons, while on the right side was found Mgbe 1, and Mgbe too is on the left side. Like Gayama 2, Mgbe 1 is completely submerged by water.

According to Clement ALANG, elite from Gayama 2, the village had over 345 houses with a population of 750. Most of the people are now living as refugees in Nigeria, or as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Mgbe 2, Gayama 1, Mekaf, Munkep, Esu and beyond.

The Divisional Officer (D.O) Edward Egbe of Fungom Subdivision, Menchum Division, North West Region of Cameroon was informed when the water started rising and he visited the village in early April 2017.

“The water has now swallowed the whole village and we have heard nothing from the government of the Cameroons.” lamented Clement Alang.

Dauda Audu, a Nigerian fisherman and boatman who had a house in Gayama 2 complained that 100 residents who were at Gayama 2 contributed Naira 1,000 each to support the D.O. when he visited. “We gave the D.O. from Fungom Naira 100,000 (FCFA 60,000) for his transport. We fed him well and gave him fish to carry back. But he has not come back to see whether we were still alive.” Dauda Audu regretted.

Clement Alang confirmed that Dauda Audu had a house called underground in Gayama 2. “It was a nice house with a tin roof, unlike majority of the houses in Gayama 2.” Clement Alang said.

Most people in Gayama 2 are descended from Esu in Cameroon. Some in Esu point to Gayama 2 as their spiritual home from where their grandparents originated. Pa Charles Kum Mei, great seer of Esu still pays regular trips to Gayama 2 to the ritual site of his ancestors to pour libation and gather more spiritual powers.

All such ritual sites, constituting a world heritage have gone under water.

“We are waiting for our gods to take up this fight!” David Adzuanaga exclaimed with hands uplifted. He continued, “We do not know why this calamity has befallen us. After the flood in the Bible, God made a covenant with Noah saying ‘… Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ So even as evil as we might be as humans, it is not God punishing us.”

All crops in Gayama 2 have been wiped out by the flood waters. The few oil palm trees and African bush mango still standing inside the water will eventually decay within months.

Clement said he farmed on 30 hectares and had more than 5,000 stems of cocoa, 3,000 oil palms, 300 bush mango, 100 mangoes, 25 coconut trees and millions of corn stems.

“How do I now feed my family? How do I educate my children and take care of my health needs?” Clement asked.

Cash crops and medicinal plants were all flooded. The communities around the Katsina Ala Basin put a high premium on alternative medicine. Most of their health conditions are remedied using alternative medicine and spiritual exercises.

Chief Martin Ngum Nang, third degree chief of Gayama 2, presently an IDP in Esu could not be contacted on how he planned to resolve some of the issues his community raised.

There is an acute shortage of water, food, medications and homes at Joining Water. Most of the 1,500 members of the Mgbe 1 community have moved to join the over 2,000 people in Mgbe 2. No schooling is going on in Mgbe 1 and Mgbe 2 as the only school was flooded in Mgbe 1. The Lone hospital was also submerged in Mgbe 1.

Clement lamented that he was not sure how Nigeria intended to compensate them, on the Cameroonian side, after such damage.

The project managers boast that the lifespan of the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam is 150 years. Unfortunately, it is becoming evident that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the executors did not plan for the consequences beyond a few months. For losing all their livelihoods due to the project and its flood waters some affected people were given Naira 6000 survive on for 150 years.

“We expect the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently come to our rescue and end this terrible environmental and human disaster.” Alang said.

The Project Managers clearly state that only those living within 10 kilometers of the dam will benefit from their social package which contains water and electrification. It means Mgbe 1, Mgbe 2, Manga, Alang, and Gayama 2, which are located more than 30 kilometers away would benefit nothing.

Akum Upkack and Ezong are about 45 kilometers away from the dam on the Cameroonian side. Healthcare and sanitation are collapsing in these places. All water in the communities after the dam is polluted and contaminated.

From the confessions of Rolbin Michael, Project Manager (PM) of Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam, those living after the 10 kilometers radius from the dam towards Cameroon are damned. I was unable to get Rolbin Michael to as residents of Kashimbila warned that the PM was too arrogant and supported by people in high places. None of my queries were answered.

Akum Upkack and Ezong with a population of over 8,500, according to Angwa Philip Akawu, President of Akum-Ezong Cultural and Development Association (AECUDA) are losing homes farms and people. Both communities are essentially farmers growing and commercializing cocoa, oil palm products, African bush mango. They also have non-timber forest products which are now under water.

“We are lost because nobody in Cameroon or Nigeria is telling us anything.” Philip Angwa lamented.

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Fon Christopher Achobang roaming at large on +2349094026829 ****

Social Commentator, Human rights activist
The Cameroons