Tractors distribution list:PM’s Office, Amadou Ali, Mebe Ngo’o, others implicated!

Despite government’s strong arm tactics to scare ACDIC, the NGO has now released the list of the senior Yaounde regime officials who misappropriated 60 Indian aid tractors destined for poor farmers across Cameroon

By Clovis Atatah

Government’s attempts for two weeks now to muffle ACDIC, the international NGO based in Yaounde that investigated the allocation of 60 Indian aid tractors, have failed.
ACDIC has gone ahead to release the names of ministers, senior government officials, MPs and army generals who received the tractors that were destined for farmers across the country. The Indian government donated the tractors in 2006.

The list was published in spite of a charge of illegal demonstration brought against ACDIC president, Bernard Njonga, to cow him to drop his campaign to expose corruption in government.
Two weeks ago, government banned an ACDIC press conference that was to disclose details about massive corruption in government and anti-riot police later broke up a peaceful demonstration in Yaounde to protest against this corruption.

According to the ACDIC list, the following persons, amongst others, received the tractors: Amadou Ali (minister), Atangana Mebara (then minister), Clobert Tchatat (minister), Amadjoda Adjoudji (ex-minister), Sadou Hayatou (ex-PM), Jean-Baptiste Beleoken (director of civil cabinet at the presidency), Gregoire Owona (deputy SG presidency), Louis Marie Abogo Nkono (then minister), Sale Charles (then minister), Essoni Francis Lin (paymaster general), Yaou Aissatou (GM SNI), Steven Njinyam (ex-minister), General Ivo Yenwo (director of presidential security), Mebe Ngo’o Alain (minister in charge of the police), Jules Doret Ndongo (SG PM’s Office), Paul Njie Meoto (director of cabinet PM’s Office), Ndion Ngute (minister delegate), Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana (minister), Polycarpe Abah Abah (then minister), Ferdinand Oyono (then minister) and Mebande Brigitte (MP).

The vice procureur of the supreme court, the GM of Ceneema and the secretary of state for agriculture also received the tractors.
Surprisingly, Amadou Ali, minister of Justice and Mebe Ngo’o, police chief, who are in charge of the government’s anti-corruption dossier, are also implicated in the misappropriation of the Indian aid tractors.
Also notable is the alleged involvement of the closest collaborators of Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni, notably his secretary general and his director of cabinet.

ACDIC’s investigations, which lasted 15 months, revealed that 49 of the 60 tractors did not get to farmers and 87.5 percent of the tractors are packed in the residences of Yaounde regime officials.
The tractors were given to Cameroon to for test use as a prelude to the setting up a tractor assembly plant in Cameroon.

Another investigation by ACDIC, released alongside the report on the tractors, revealed that the bulk of government subsidies to farmers over the years have been siphoned by senior agriculture ministry officials.
There have been growing calls in the press for the sacking or resignation of the minister of agriculture and all the people implicated in ACDIC’s reports.
The national anti-corruption commission, CONAC, has decided to verify ACDIC’s allegations.