By Sone Bayen and on the spot report from Mande Mambe just back from Mundemba
– PM says development objectives are the same, be it in Toko, Isangele, Dikome Balue, Ekondo Titi, Combo Abedimo, Mundemba or Bamusso
– Minister Director of Cabinet, Ebune Confiance – There can be no development, employment, roads if we carry arms…guns will never employ you
– ANC unveils strong cultural bond, semblance among Ndian people
The long awaited All Ndian Conference, ANC 2022 organised under the distinguished patronage of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, H.E Chief Dr Dion Ngute Joseph, earlier scheduled for March 2022 was finally realized last Saturday, April 23, 2022 at the Council Chambers in Mundemba, chief town of the Ndian division in the Southwest region of Cameroon.
Mundemba, chief town of Ndian Division, was the most improbable location for a civil gathering of any kind, but that hotbed of the ongoing armed conflict rocking the Anglophone regions of the country succeeded to host the All Ndian Peace and Development Conference (ANC) at the weekend.
The one division where some of the most deadly lethal attacks have taken place, including the recent mine explosion that left local authorities dead, just sent a strong signal across the conflict zone that local elite and masses can mobilise forces to turn the tides.
Fear being a by-product of the crisis, the coming of elite and kindred from dispersed areas as a result of the crisis brought solace and warmed the hearts of melancholic folks at home and stands to embolden them.
Perhaps this is why the Southwest Senator, Charles Mbella Moki is saluting Prime Minister, Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute for the successful event. Speaking to other news media, Mbella Moki says the PM’s division has set a good example for kith and kin of other Anglophone localities to emulate.
PM’s representative’s moving speech
The occasion was graced by the presence of the Prime Minister’s representative, Director of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, Minister Ebune Confiance Balungeli who was triumphantly welcomed with singing and dancing by the various cultural dance groups and chiefs from the various clans in Ndian.
Ebune Confiance, who like the Prime Minister is also a Ndian son was welcomed by a massive prayer to the ancestors for blessings and peace performed by Chief Efamba Wa Njoku.
In his speech, the Director of Cabinet said “I want to thank the youths of Ndian who nursed and nurtured this great idea. Indeed, the youths have shown us that something good can come out from the youths. I understand that this conference has a singular purpose of collective acceleration of peace for the development of Ndian division,” He acknowledged.
“Yes, the Ndian division has been heavily impacted by the current socio-political upheaval in the Northwest and Southwest region. This impact is felt in many ways by all of us; either by the inability to come home without fear in Ndian division, to celebrate, invest, mourn our dead or go to school,” He lamented.
He went on to explain that peace is fast returning to the southwest region and Ndian must not be left out, “Until we can access all villages in our division and peace reigns in all of them, Ndian elites must come together.Our development objectives are the same; be it in Toko, Idabato, Isangele, Dikome Balue, Ekondo Titi, Kombo Abedimo, Mundemba or Bamusso. This is why the Prime Minister, Head of Government asked me to reiterate the message of the Head of State, appeal that we should convince those of our children who are still in the bushes to silence the guns, drop their arms and embrace peace and unity for development because the numerus factors and values that unite us outway those that divide us,” He pleaded.
Speaking to the press, the Director of the PM’s cabinet expressed, “A message of congratulations especially in this period of upheaval for the people of Ndian to come together to trace the way forward in terms of peace and development. The Prime Minister, Head of Government who is also a son of this area was contacted by the organisers of this great event so he decided to be part of it.
Minister Ebune Confiance insisted that “There can be no development, …employment, …roads, there can be no schools constructed if we carry arms. That’s the principal message, and for our people to take the opportunities and all the avenues government has put in place to bring peace and development to this region.”
He concluded by pleading with the people to come together for peace to reign, “A Ndian man is that person who preserves life; killing isnot in our culture. It’san estranged tradition that people want to bring. Guns willnever solve the problem, …give you food, …give you employment, …provide a road. Instead, it will destroy our people,” He reiterated.
During the conference, various presentations were presented by some special delegates of the conference on the way forward for peace and development. Presentations from Tata Ebune Eugene Wa-Mowoh Dada’a, Chief Nasako, Tata Ekole Paul Nanje, Tata Ngoe Naliembe Pascal, Dr Tendonge Regina Nasako (for Ndian Women), Dr Nambangia Justin Okolle, Tata Mosima Nelson Efamba, Dr Louis Besinga (For Ndian Youths), Mme Ngoh Grace Ewang – Regional Delegate of Culture, were deliberated upon in order to seek long-lasting peace, development and promotion of culture in Ndian division, Southwest region of Cameroon.
Meanwhile a portrait painting painted by The SUN’s desk editor/paint artist, Mambe Njikofore Mande N. (known by the artist name of Njiko.M) who is also a daughter of Ndian division, was received by the special representative of the Prime Minister, Min Ebune confiance
Chiefs, elite, delegates of the ANC represented the Balue, Balondo, Barombi, Bima, Korup, Balondo Ba-Diko, Ngolo, Batanga, Bakoko, Bakole, Ekombe and Isangele to honour the call from the PM to come together, help each other realise the goal of the conference which is “To galvanise the sons and daughters of all the clans of Ndian division to work together for the return of peace in order to usher in a new era of prosperity and development.”
Other specific objectives of the conference; to address issues facing Ndian and restore peace to the entire Ndian, to restart construction work of the Kumba Ekondo Titi road, to restore and restart the operations of PAMOL, CDC and other agricultural concerns in Ndian division, to revive existing opportunities and create new ones for the youths within a peaceful and prosperous Ndian were focus of deliberations at the conference.
It is worth noting that the All Ndian Conference brought together Ndian sons and daughters who showed willingness to mingle, help and work with each other not only in the Ndian conference, but also in other works of life; career, culture and tradition and also to enjoy the feeling of being surrounded with their own people.
Preparatory meetings were held prior to the conference; a preliminary consultation was held in Limbe in January 2022, bringing together 90 key stakeholdersincluding; traditional rulers, senior elites, civil society leaders, private sector leaders, entrepreneurs, youth and women leaders, local Council authorities and religious leaders representing all the nine subdivisions of Ndian division. H.E the PM also held a range of consultations with chiefs and elites from all Ndian tribes at his Lakeside residence in the months of March and early April, with the main topic of the agenda being how to improve the security situation so that development projects could follow. A series of measures were proposed, the applications of whichare still in progress.
Ndian Division is one of the regions in the Southwest region that has suffered the most damaging impact of the crisis that has been plaguing the Southwest and Northwest regions since 2016. The high internal displacement, kidnappings, brutal killings and stress on already limited resources has caused social tensions and seriously disrupted the natural flow of everyday life. Persistent acts of violence are causing severe physical, psychological and socio-economic damage to the population especially women and youths, and children not attending school for over 5years has left the population wondering what the future holds.