In response to news that over 18 billion frs CFA has been mismanaged from the Rice-Corn-Cassava programme, Greenpeace Africa forest Campaigner, Sylvie Djacbou has said:
“It is distressful that over 18 billion frs CFA is alleged by Le Messager Newspaper to have disappeared in the course of managing the programme for Rice-Corn-Cassava in Cameroon. It is evident that without transparency and accountability in the management of our financial resources, the drive for food security and employment in the agricultural sector will continuously be a farce.
“The programme was meant to cultivate ten thousand hectares for corn and rice. However, since the signing of the loan agreement between Cameroon and India nine years ago, Cameroonians are yet to see it’s implementation. It is alleged that compulsory kickbacks have kept many implementation initiatives in the drawers of bureaucrats. This is sad, considering that many Cameroonians lack proper nutrition. It is also disturbing that the supposed produce was meant to supply the Societe de Transformation du Manioc de Sangmelima (SOTRAMAS) and not the ordinary Cameroonian consumers.
“For many decades, the regime in place has been paying lip service to reduce food importation, improve and modernize the agricultural sector in Cameroon. But like some government initiatives, Greenpeace Africa is worried about the process, the lack of transparency and accountability in implementation. To earmark ten thousand hectares of forest for destruction for industrial agriculture without proper evaluation is worrying.
“Greenpeace Africa calls on the Cameroonian government to improve on its accountability and transparency process in the management of public resources. We also advice Cameroonian officials to invest in ecological farming towards realising agricultural modernisation. This should go a long way to benefit ordinary citizens who should be the primary beneficiaries of any such programmes”.
Media Contact:
Nchemty M. Ozongashu, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Africa, 677-345-612 / [email protected]
Sylvie Djacbou Deugoue, Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace Africa, 652-233-542/ [email protected]