By Wambo Emmanuel in Bamenda
After the launching of the Babadjou-Bamenda stretch of road in Santa as part of the long awaited promises by the head of state president Paul Biya to personally supervise the tarring of the Ring Road some years back, the Minister Emmanuel Nganou Njoumessi was guest, at Bamndankwe Fon`s palace on Wednesday 17th May, 2017. He was guest of honour and the title of “Tabufor “was conferred on him. Tabufor which is an attribute given to senior princes who act as the Fon`s special advisers was given Mr. Nganou Djoumessi in recognition of some special benefits that the village and the entire Bamenda 1 Council area has enjoyed from the hands of President Biya`s regime.
Their gratitude to the government through the Minister of Public Works was not only to appreciate the passage of the Babdjou- Bamenda giant road project through that highland plateau village, it was purposefully in recognition of a 4 kilometer tarred stretch of road from the Custom Juntion Bamenda Up-station to the threshold of their palace.
“For the reason that Bamendankwe palace is linked by tarred road meanwhile some first class Fons palaces of Mezam Division such as Mankon, Bali and Bafut are not part of such singular government largesse is telling of the special attention the regime attaches to that community.” One Bamendankwe notable noted.
Many observers noted that the special relationship that bonds Bamenkwe and government is wrapped in the fact that the village is not only strategically positioned at the gateway into Bamenda city, she equally hosts the administrative seat of Mezam Division and the North West Region.
However, there are other opinion holders who believe that the extraordinary intercourse between the CPDM government and Bamendankwe is not only connected to the strong lobbying power of some elites of that village that has pulled government to develop their community but it is equally tied to their loyal adherence to the CPDM.
The ceremony to decorate Minister Nganou Djoumessi at the Mendankwe palace esplanade however came to head when the minister inexplicably refused to dorn the popular North West traditional regalia.
However, the controversial moment was drowned in the deafening drumbeats from different dance groups and masquerade display that characterized the colourful ceremony.
Fon Fongwa III, ruler of that community who spoke through an interlocutor because of health reasons and because of some cultural strings that restrains North West Fons from addressing the crowd directly appreciated the government for the work done so far in terms of road infrastructure but pleaded for more to be done. According to him the present road to his palace needs to be transformed into a two way carriage road as well as more attention given to farm to market road to enable the predominantly agrarian women evacuate their farm produce from the hilly farms.
Mr. Nganou Djoumessi who was in Bamenda for a two days trip with over 60.7 billion in his suitcase from the World Bank and the African Development Bank for the construction of Bamenda-Babadjou stretch of road and 17 kilometer inside Bamenda City promised the Fon and the entire population to bring more roads. According to him, the Head of State Paul Biya cannot forget the people of Bamendankwe because of their obedience to state authority. He equally enjoined the population to block their ears to trumpeters of ghost towns and school boycotts and send their children to school.