Kikot-Mbebe Hydro power plant project: Steering committee brainstorm on indemnity for affected population.

It brings together administrative authorities of the three affected administrative units viz Sanaga Maritime Division of the Littoral Region and the Nyong and Kelle and Lekie Divisions of the Centre Region.

Officials from the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure as well as staff of the Kikot-Mbebe Hydro Power Company, KHPC, are also in attendance. 

The aim of the two-day workshop, according to the Deputy Director General of KHPC, Lionel Omgba Oyono, is to bring the members of the three commissions together.

This, he said, is for them to exchange and harmonise the findings they carried out on the field as well as map out a strategy that will permit them reach out to the affected populations so as to fight against any form of conflict once the project is launched in the months ahead.

Speaking to reporters, Omgba Oyono noted that the project was made known at the end of 2023, when the Head of State announced that the electricity sector will receive a new power plant named the Kikot Mbebe Hydro Electric Power Plant which will produce at least 500 megawatts for the sector.

“The aim of this workshop is to have an experience sharing workshop with focus on the issue of creating a harmonise platform to compensate the affected population,” Omgba Oyono stated.

The workshop, he said, brings together officials of the three divisions concerned by the project. He said participants are expected to discuss and map out strategies to solve any issue that has to do with indemnity.

According to the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO of Lekie, Patrick Simou Kamsu, who doubles as member of the steering committee, at the level of his area of command, they started by sensitising the population on the advantages of the project as well as what it takes to bring the giant project in their area. 

“We have been to the field and exchanged with the people in the difference villages affected by the site. We have exchange on what will change with the coming of the project, we have equally discussed with them what can be taken and what cannot be taken into consideration in matters concerning land and compensation when the government is concerned,” Simou Kamsu told reporters. 

The administrative authorities stated that at the moment, they have been able to equally discuss with the population on the rundown of the project as well as the space of land that will be taken into consideration for the project.

“As soon as the work will be done, we will proceed with the evaluation system and here we will go back to the field and map out what will be destroyed as well as know the portion of land to be paid and which not to be paid,” he stated.

On some of the challenges faced during the survey, he revealed that during the field works, it was noticed that some of the inhabitants did not have national identity cards.

“They have been sensitised to have one done for it is a valid document during the compensation period,” he stated. 

He also noted that there are localities where the inhabitants were absent during the sensitisation and evaluation but will be same people who will begin lamenting that they were left out in the compensation process. 

He also mentioned cases of those who have land titles but were unable to present them when the campaign was carried out. 

“But as far as we are concerned and as members of the commission, we will do all what is necessary to compensate all,” Simou Kamsu assured.  

About KHPC

The Kikot-Mbebe Hydro Power Company, KHPC, was set up in September 2023 with the aim to design, develop, build and operate the Kikot-Mbebe hydroelectric project.

The project is expected to be constructed over the River Sanaga, in a location that cuts across the Sanaga Maritime Division of the Littoral Region and the Nyong and Kelle and Lekie Divisions of the Centre Region

The project whose works are expected to kick off in 2025 is expected to supply at least 500 megawatt of electricity by 2030. The main works consist of a retaining dam, a generating plant and a very high voltage transmission line. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Issue No:3159 of Friday July 5, 2024