At maiden edition of SW Peace and Development Forum delegates resolve tochampion course for peace
- Minister Ebune Confiance: We must rise and build and we must take full responsibility for the future of our region
- I am convinced that our people now know who their true friends are
- President Bakoma Elango says forum was vital because there can’t be development without peace
- FCFA 6 billion earmarked for Limbe deep seaport
- Head of State orders acceleration of rehabilitation of SONARA
- Reactions from across the board
Indepth report by our Fako Bureau Chief, Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi in Buea
By organising the Peace and Development Forum, an initiative of the South-West Regional Assembly, South westerners got a much-needed boost in their pursuit of freeing the region of gun noises in order to focus on the needful – the development of the region, one with immeasurable resources.
Under the theme; The South West, Our Region, Our Challenge, Our Common Destiny, some 600 delegates drawn from the six divisions of the South West region(100 from each division) have resolved to champion the course for peace and put a full stop to the plus six years Anglophone crisis.
This was during the maiden edition of the South West Peace and Development forum, organized by the South West Regional Assembly which held in Buea on Friday, May 12 and Saturday May 13, 2023 bringing together sons and daughters of the region to discuss challenges faced which hinder the return of peace and seek long lasting solutions towards the development of the region.
Chairing the mega event and representing the Prime Minister, Head of Government was the Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s office, Minister Balungeli Confiance Ebune who was welcomed upon arrival by the Governor of the South West Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai, and the President of the South West Regional Assembly among other dignitaries.
during maiden edition of SW Peace and Dev’t Forum
In his address, Minister Confiance Ebune said the SW Peace and Development Forum is a landmark event in the history of the region and the country as a whole. “We are gathered here today to reassert our most treasured value: Peace. The Prime Minister, Head of Government has taken full cognizance of this event and has asked me to reassure you that the ears and eyes of government are particularly attentive to the conclusions that will come out of this forum. He also asked me to reiterate the call of the Head of State to our youths still holding arms to drop their arms”.
While urging the elites of the region to not only re-echo the call of youths to leave the bushes but put all strategies in place to make it a reality, Minister Balungeli added that the solutions to the challenges of the people of the region can only be better articulated through home grown and locally engineered efforts.
“This is a merit of effective decentralization and we are extremely proud of such a development. This forum today is an eloquent proof that the people of the South West Region have their destiny in their hands. We are all fully aware of the painful road we have worked during the past years marked by the unprecedented crisis in the North-West and South-West regions. Slowly but surely our people have understood that the manipulation was poorly employed to satisfy the personal ambitions of persons who never had the interest of the region at heart”. He continued.
“I do not want to dwell on the errors of the past because we have learnt our lessons. I am convinced that our people now know who their true friends are. We must rise and build and we must take full responsibility for the future of our region. This new engagement would not be achieved on unfounded aspirations and utopic promises but through national unity, peace, stability and hard work”.
other delegates taken at the close of the forum
“The functioning of the regional council and its commendable work is just one of the tangible proofs of this reality whose impact is further made possible by the special status. Government will live no stone unturned to guarantee the progress of economic activities and employment in the region” Minister Confiance averred.
He went further to reveal that government is about to inject about FCFA 6 Billion to carryout primary infrastructural projects as concerns the Limbe deep seaport. As concerns SONARA, he revealed that the Head of State has instructed the acceleration of the procedure to commence the rehabilitation process.
“The ball is in our court. Shall we sit back and watch our region dwindle and the livelihood of our people destroyed? We say NO and government too says NO. We have a natural mandate to ensure effective return to normalcy in places where there are still pockets of violence in order to create the environment necessary for progress and meaningful development. We have a prime mission to educate our children urging them to understand that a prosperous future will only be achieved through hard work, mutual respect and confidence in the huge potential they represent in the country.
“Government takes great interest in this forum because it provided a volume opportunity to harness local energy, to achieve social stability and to boost public private investment”. We need to rely on patriotic members of the diaspora to channel strategic investment to drive the economy”
“This conference is proof that we too will not fold our arms. We must do our duty. Let us be rest assured that government will do its part even with the available resources. We will stand firm making sure that the peace and security of this region be guaranteed in order to enable the peace loving and law abiding citizens to go about their lives freely. The Southwest region will pursue its part resolutely towards peace, unity, sustainable development and progress,” Minister Confiance stated.
The President of the South-West Regional Assembly, Bakoma Elango Zacheus in his remark noted that peace is what enables development. “Efforts to preserve peace are absolutely vital in bringing prosperity and hope for the future. The SW Regional Assembly has been fostering development across the region inspired by the bottom-top approach which rests on the setting of priority development needs by the beneficiaries themselves. So far health, secondary education, water and electricity have been our main areas of intervention”.
He added that the forum will enable participants share thoughts, ideas and experiences that will help to shine the light on the path to the development of the region. “Every son and daughter of the region has a stake in the development of the South West region. For development to thrive, peace must reign. The South Westerner needs peace to forge ahead”.
“With an annual subsidy of FCFA 3 Billion from the state of Cameroon of which 60% is earmarked for investment, the regional assembly will do more to better the lives of our population. We want a South West region where guns will be silent for good, a SWR where all our brothers and sisters who fled their homes will return and rekindle the economy of our region, a SWR where movement between different localities will resume as was the case”. Bakoma Elango opined.
It is important to note that some concerns were raised as to why other ministers of Southwest origin were absent for the mega forum. In response to that and giving his closing remark, Minister Ebune Confiance said the other ministers would have loved to be part of the forum but could not be available due to state duties. He, however, noted that they have always and will continue giving their unflinching support to see the return of peace and stability to the South West region.
‘It is only through peace that we can have meaningful development and make our region a reference. Development has no colour, no political party, no tribe nor religion. When a road passes, it serves everyone”. Minister Confiance concluded
Talking to the press, Minister Confiance revealed that the is satisfied in all terms. “As a messenger, I am satisfied to take a full package back to the Prime Minister, Head of Government. The participants have been very cooperative and resolved amicably. The special status shall be seen in concrete actions in the development of the region. It started well and ended well”.
Reactions
The future is assuring and a bright one for us all-Mayor David Mafani Namange, Mayor of Buea
“The forum is a positive one and I am very elated. Peace is a prerequisite for development and everyone is in need of peace. We have all suffered from the presence of absolute peace in the last 6 years and everyone has a story to tell. This forum is timely as it will help us rethink, re-strategize, build better and forge ahead as one people for our common destiny. The problems have been identified, the way forward has been proposed and we have a road map in the pipeline on how we shall go about the implementation of the proposals made. We will grow stronger and much united than ever before. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. Wehave made a step and gradually we shall get there”.
Peace is priceless–Robertson Tabenchong Ashu, Mayor of Mamfe Central
“The forum gave us room to have exchanges with other communities and problems they’re facing. Mamfe is doing tremendously fine and I appreciate the SW regional assembly for coming up with such a brilliant initiative. As a mayor and local authority, I have been organizing such peace conferences in my area. We have regulations and how we function. This forum is to enable the state understand the common worries of the population and how they can go about solving them. Peace is priceless and that is why we are here today to ensure that peace is fully regained in the SWR. This forum will pave the way forward for peace to return to our region”
Peace has returned to Okoyong village-Chief Orock John Mbi, Chief of Okoyong
“Peace and Development need to move simultaneously for a country or region to develop. We hope that the resolutions we have arrived at be implemented to the later so that we can build better and forge ahead as one. We don’t want paper-work resolutions. There is need for peace in this region because we are lagging behind in terms of development. At the level of my village, I have already implemented the anti-gang and it is working out well as security is being maintained.. Schools are functioning and there is no fear”.
The Peace Call is a collective one which requires collective efforts-Chief Dipoko Daniel, King of Missaka village
“As a traditional ruler with over 12 sub-villages, attending a forum like this is of paramount interest because one of the facts that we must underline is that there is no reasonable development without an effective peace program. Peace and development are co-partners that must work together. This initiative is not a one man show. It is a come together of all stakeholders and everyone putting their hands on deck to realize this peace project. It is collective call which requires a collective intervention.
Peace is the first requirement for a successful development-Prof Victor Julius Ngoh- President of CUIB
“This forum alone cannot be the final solution to put an end to the crisis because the crisis involves both the South West and North West regions. The SWR has to take a stand and make it very clear that the region is not part of what is going on. The population of the SWR should be bold enough, come out openly and denounce the ill acts. There cannot be effective development without peace.”
Eseme Moses Esembe-Mayor of Kumba 1
“This initiative of the SW Regional Assembly is the first of its kind and it is laudable. The forum has attracted actors, stakeholders in the SWR from all the corners of the country. The content of the forum is one that gives us a lot of hope. South Westerners are beginning to understand that there is every need for us to come together and discuss our issues. If we had such a forum even before the inception of this crisis, we would not have found ourselves where we are now. This event may end up becoming an annual event and as a municipal authority I am going back to convince local stakeholders so that we emulate the example of the regional assembly by making sure that we have such milieus for people to come together and discuss issues pertaining to them. I am very much impressed because everyone has come on board and we have been able to blend our ideas. What is left now is effective implementation and I am optimistic that all will pull through successfully”.
The SW Peace and Dev’t Forum is a right step in the right direction-Prof. Ernest Molua, DVC Research and Cooperation University of Bamenda
“This forum is a step in the right direction and it has energized the living forces in the region. It has also put the South West regional assembly on the map as an important stakeholder in Cameroon’s economic development. We have arrived at very important resolutions which can serve as a roadmap for the South West Region. It will guide them in preparing the budget for the next years. We have exchanged a lot of ideas in diverse areas of health, agriculture, energy, education etc in which they can extract a particular program and budget for. This is an important blueprint that we have been able to produce to guide and help our brothers and sisters of the South West region who are currently managing the decentralization process and the special status process under the regional assembly”.
This is a giant step towards achieving our goals and objectives-Donatus Asu Manghe, Deputy General Manager for Pamol Plantations Plc
“The initiative was lofty, the activities went as planned and everything ended well. This is the beginning of the peace process. So we are starting from here and gradually we shall get there. This is the beginning of good things to come. The SW regional assembly took a great initiative to organize this forum and I personally appreciate them for that”.
We want equal development at the level of the divisions-HM. Chief Nasako Nasako Daniel Molondo Molondo III, Chief of Mbo-Barombi
“The forum has been quite impressive. The SW regional assembly has done so well and there is no doubt to the fact that they have a good leadership. We want equal development at the level of the divisions. We believe that through these developments, peace will take its course. There are still some communities that are lagging behind and have been abandoned for many years like my village Barombi-Mbo. It is our humble wish and desire that the regional assembly and the government reach out to us in terms of development. We have been told to table the project we need and that is exactly what I am going to do after today. The government should make use of the communities if they want to develop the area”
RESOLUTIONS
After the deliberations from the various committees, members arrived at some resolutions which include;
On the stewardship of the nation, members hailed the President of the nation for his persistent determination to consolidate national unity through the implementation of bilingualism and multi-culturalism.
Express the deep sense of understanding, level-headedness and good leadership displayed by the President in defending the territorial integrity of his people.
On the South West Regional Assembly, members hailed the president for his excellent initiative of bringing together sons and daughters of the region under the umbrella of the SW Peace and Development forum to brainstorm on building sustainable peace and development.
Members congratulated the regional assembly for the development strides made so far in the domains of health, energy, water, electricity, education and economic development.
On the devolution of power to the region, members praised the Head of State for devolving powers in the domains of health, environment, transport, education and nature protection
On Peace building, members strongly held that peace is priceless and their desire to achieve peace is primordial.
On health, members expressed the satisfaction of efforts deployed by government and the SW regional assembly to increase health facilities and improve health delivery in the region but noted that access to quality health facilities is faced with numerous challenges. They equally urged the SW regional assembly to pay greater attention in reviving abandoned district hospitals.
Appeal to government and SWRA to continue the supply of essential drugs to existing district hospitals.
On sustainable development, members noted that where a road passes, development follows. They added that the SWR lacks farm-to-market roads, pipe borne water and rural electrification. They resolved that more attention be paid to the provision of these facilities.
On agriculture, members noted that agriculture is the backbone of the society. They resolved that there is a need to modernize the agricultural sector and diversify our agricultural programs. Members urged the state and the SWRA to organize capacity building workshops within communities for greater awareness and sustainability.
Members called on the SWRA to organize capacity building workshops within communities for greater awareness and sustainability. They also called on the government to improve on road network especially farm-to-market roads and market structures to give the peasant farmers the possibility to import and market their products.
On education, members resolved that local communities should facilitate the resumption of schools in their respective towns and villages. They called on educational stakeholders to lay emphasis on education for productivity with focus on vocational and technical education.
Members called on the SWRA to create the manpower of students of south west origin in the various professional and higher institutions of learning such as ENS, ENSEC, ENAM etc.
They called on authorities of the SWR to give priorities to SW indigenous children. They pleaded on the government to build more vocational training centers in the SWR.
SWRA, SONARA, CDC etc. to subsidize the education of SW children. On energy, the members pleaded on the state and service providers to improve the quality of energy provision and distribution in the SWR. They also called on the state to complete the technological upgrade, rehabilitation of SONARA and improve the distribution of fuel in the SWR.
Members called on the SWRA to encourage the commercialization of charcoal which the SWR has in abundance and which has the potential of providing employment.
On taxation and physical policies, members resolved that the state should review some elements of the 2023 tax and south westerners should locate the headquarters of their companies in the SWR so as to increase the amount of communal taxes. Members recommended massive investment in the agricultural sector because it is tax free.
They recommended south westerners to invest in target sectors like renewable energy, banana sector, transformation of local materials etc which is either tax free or have special government incentives.
Minister Ebune Confiance Balungeli welcomed at the SW Peace and Dev’t Forum by some traditional dance groups of the SWR
Minister Balungeli welcomed by the S.D.O for Fako, Chaibou
Minister Ebune Confiance greets security officials in the region upon arrival
Minister Balungeli Ebune Confiance addresses 600 delegates in the SWR during maiden edition of SW Peace and Dev’t Forum
President of SW Regional Assembly, Bakoma Elango Zacheus presenting his address
Cross-section of the delegates taking part and proposing ideas towards the return of peace to the SWR
Group photograph of the Minister, his entourage, traditional rulers and other delegates taken at the close of the forum