– Promises better days ahead for Lebialem Division
– Describes CPDM Candidate, Hon. Dr. Bernard Foju as
architect of modern Lebialem
By Sylvester Atemnkeng
The Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development in charge of Planning who doubles as the head of CPDM Central Committee Permanent Divisional Delegation for Lebialem, H.E. Paul TASONG has called on the people of Lebialem to turnout en masse and vote at the upcoming twin elections on February 9, 2020.
He made the clarion call on Tuesday January 28, 2020 during an exclusive interview with The Star newspaper while promising better days ahead for the Lebialem Division.
Lebialem people going by him, are prepared especially when it comes to CPDM. “We are prepared because our candidates’ files were validated and approved by competent constituted authorities as stipulated by the laws and regulations of the land. We filled in 93 Councilors for our three Municipalities of Alou, Menji and Wabane and of course we put in a candidate for the lone Parliamentary seat to the National Assembly for the division,” he said
“We are working hard to ensure that the population of Lebialem comes out en masse to plebiscite our candidates and ensuring that Lebialem Division is not left out when the time comes for this major national event like all others in the past. Our intension is to ensure that elections hold in Lebialem like in the other 57 Divisions of the Republic”
On the ongoing crisis
So far as the crisis is concern, the son of Lebialem who has been described as a man of fundamental decency, moral authority, and unimpeachable integrity said “they will continue to remind the young people of Lebialem origin who have decided to continue to kiss the viper, that venom kills. It is not too late, they still have enough time to lay down their arms and come out. As their parents, we shall open our arms and receive them and continue to guide them to the right path of success and show them the right side of history,” he added.
“I wish to take this opportunity to remind them that, there is nothing like an independent republic of anything whatsoever. It doesn’t exist and it won’t exist. They have been deceived and it is time for them to come to terms with themselves and to realize that people have made gains out of their choice which was the wrong choice. Come back to the fold and the family because the ultimate challenge we all have now is the reconstruction of Lebialem and we can’t successfully do this without our young people who are not only the future but also the present. We need the wisdom of their brains and the strength of our arms to be able to rebuild our Division and to continue to forge ahead. That wisdom points to the CPDM as the right choice on February 9.”
On the development of Lebialem
Concerning development, the indefatigable Minister Delegate Paul Tasong said Lebialem had been on the right track before the crisis came in.
“The construction of modern Lebialem started in 1998/1999 and this has been going on very smoothly until the crisis reared its ugly head. We have done a diagnosis of what has been destroyed in the Division but the most important thing to note is, this is the Division that was connected to the national electricity grid only 20 years ago in 1999 but as of today, no locality of the Division is connected to the grid because the power lines have been damaged and we have been cut off again. We are kind of back to pre-1999 conditions which is very regrettable and disgusting to right thinking human beings”
“So our biggest challenge will be to reconnect our Division to the national grid because the life that we all live today in the digital or android age without electricity is worth nothing.”
“Our second main challenge will be to rehabilitate the road network of Lebialem. Our roads have been abandoned, our bridges have been destroyed, and displacement from one locality of the Division to another is a major challenge. We have to seize the bull by the horns to ensure that mobility in the Division is assured”
On Education
On the part of education, this Harvard Product who is spirited and honorable, grand and majestic, thoughtful and magnanimous told The Star that, thanks to the efforts of the people of goodwill of Lebialem and elite, schools are now going on in several localities. “Last year our Division was a dark spot on the educational map of Cameroon, we have turn that around and schools are ongoing in the Division and we are happy that the young ones, who were left in the Division because their parents and families were unable to take them out of the Division to secure the continuation of their education are now enjoying this.”
On social life
Socially, Minister Paul Tasong said life in the Division is beginning to regain its normal conviviality, several markets in the Division have resume full activities and the economy of the Division is picking up to full gear as it was in the past.
He reiterated that in the past, the Cocoa crop in the Division was unable to reach the market despite several additional difficulties they had to face to reach the market with the poor state of the roads and security challenges. But we are glad that our people many of who are mainly Cocoa Farmers were able to evacuate their products to the market
“We are also home to large varieties of garden crops like Irish potatoes, cabbages among others. Most of these crops have had abundant harvest this season where conditions are very favorable for agriculture with abundant rainfall and sunshine,” he said.
On the Administration
“The administration is in place, all our Divisional and Senior Divisional Officers, are on seat and are working to continue to guarantee the peace, stability and security of the citizens in the Division. It is their presence alongside all the other services that guarantees us that we will all vote come February 9”
On the choice of Hon. Dr. Ateawung Benard Foju for MP
On the choice of Hon. Dr. Bernard Foju, the renaissance man said he fully agreed that he is the architect of modern Lebialem because it is thanks to him that the main road that links the Divisional Headquarters to the West Region has received the best attention they have ever had in terms of road construction that is from Fongo Tongo through Alou down to Menji, Fontem being a tested and trusted Engineer of class.
“The state of that road with the supporting infrastructure which includes the bridges and culverts were constructed in 1998, thanks to the very special effort of Hon. Dr. Bernard Foju who was Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, Head of Government then”
“Immediately after that, the Division for the first time got hooked to the national electricity grid when the high tension power line was constructed from the West Region through Alou down to Menji, Fontem. It is from this backbone line that the rest of the Division has had the opportunity to be connected to the national grid. I can say with pride that more than 70 percent of our Division is connected to the national electricity grid”
“This two put aside, we cannot undermine several other small scale major projects in the educational, health, agriculture sectors etc, which have come to improve the quality of life in our Division, thanks to Hon. Dr. Foju,” Minister Tasong went on.
“It is also important to note that, the administration was planted in our Division all thanks to Hon. Dr. Foju because we became a Division in 1992 but we had to wait till early 2000 to see the real and effective implantation of Divisional Administrative services at our Divisional headquarters. Not only did they come with human resources, of course they came with the infrastructure that supports them. All this came earlier, thanks to Hon. Dr. Foju”
“On another note, the people of Lebialem when it comes to the CPDM Party, agree with him and naturally in my capacity as Head of the Permanent Divisional Delegation for that Division and of course Campaign Manager for all election campaign in that Division, I am proud and glad that I am running campaigns for a candidate whose chances of winning are very high,” Minister Tasong assured.
“We are even very galvanized to face the challenge but we cannot totally sideline the other election, which is the Municipal elections. It is important to note that, the CPDM is a lone political party standing in that Division when it comes to Municipal elections”
“We are using the opportunity where we face little or no challenge, to remind the people of Lebialem that we must shift the center of the goal post from simply winning to massive participation”
On Security Challenges
“We have to endeavour to prove to the world that Lebialem is not a hell that many people in Cameroon think it is. The impression that people have out there, is that it is impossible to go to that place, that place is hell, if you go there you will die, et al, I say No!!!, that is not true, that is not real. I am inviting everybody who is registered to vote in Lebialem Division, to take out their voting cards and go to their different polling stations and vote.”
Minister Tasong assured the populace not to be worried about the noise that is being made by a certain Oliver Lekeaka alias “Field Marshal.” As far as we know, he has been inconsequential on this whole thing. He sits on the spot and makes noise, does his videos and audios and sends to the world like an entrepreneur of war. I like to make it abundantly clear that he has no control of Lebialem Division. He is in a tight corner and we are very sure on February 9, he is going to be of zero effect on the electoral process. We trust our security forces that they will bush back on him and assume their responsibility.
As I said from the beginning, if you chose to kiss the viper, be sure that you are going take in the venom and venom kills,” Minister Paul Tasong concluded.