New Conservator Discloses Action Plan for Mt. Cameroon National Park

By Ndimuh B. Shancho

The new Conservator of the Mount Cameroon National Park (MCNP), Charles-Innocent Memvi Abessolo, has put in a place a set of actions and strategies that will ensure the conservation of natural resources within the Mount Cameroon Area.

Taking over from Mr. Besong Simon, who has gone to replace as Conservator of the Ndeng Ndeng National Park in the East Region of Cameroon, Mr. Memvi, who initially greeted his transfer with mixed feeling due to security situation of his new area of work, has a vision and a mapped-out strategy for the effective management of the Park.

“We are putting in all efforts in the development of ecotourism with the goal of ensuring that the Mount Cameroon National Park has international standards. We will continue to work with the population because you cannot do conservation without the communities around the park; we will organize them through already established VFMCs, improve their livelihoods, and work with tour organisations to improve and develop the ecotourism aspect,” he said.

As to how he intends to curb illegal activities within the protected area, the MCNP  boss promised to  “sensitise and educate the population to be aware of the challenges/impact of climate change and the importance of conservation. After these, if the activities continued, we will apply the forestry law”.

Quizzed on how he intends to carry out conservation amidst the Anglophone crises has pushed many to take refuge in the forest, Mr. Memvi said “it’s very difficult because during a crisis, you cannot prioritise the destruction of trees and death of animals over the death of humans. We just hope that everything will be fine soon so we can do our job effectively. Now, we can only work in communities that are relatively safe”. He refuted registering any clash between eco guards and separatist fighters.

As the new Conservator of the Mount Cameroon National Park, Mr. Memvi has a message to the staff of the Park and adjacent communities. “To the staff, I want to we are all workers of the same ministry, and need to collaborate and maintain a good working relationship with one another.  My message to the communities is that they should help us to conserve; conservation is for our future and that of our children. Whatever the government is doing is to help the population. Conservation works together with development. Ecotourism, for example, generates a lot of income that communities will also benefit from,” he said.

Charles-Innocent Memvi Abessolo, who hails from the South Region of Cameroon, is a Forestry and Wildlife Engineer specialised in Protected Area Management. He started working in 20017 with a logging company after his graduation from the University of Dschang.  In 2009,  he joined the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and was sent to the SW Regional Delegation as Support Staff. A few months after, he was transferred in the same capacity to MINFOF Meme, where he served till 2011 when he was appointed Conservator of the Bayang Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2012, he was transferred to Ndeng Ndeng National Park still as Conservator, where he worked for 7 years before being transferred to the Mt. Cameroon National Park, July 29, 2019.