By Doh James Sonkey
The Prime Minister, Head of Government chaired last March 18, 2025, at the PM Office in Yaounde, the 6th session of Follow-up Committee of Major National Dialogue Recommendations Implementation. Speaking at the occasion, he urged stakeholders across the nation to uphold the spirit of dialogue that was borne at the historic Major National Dialogue that took place in Yaounde last September 30 to October 4, 2019.
Addressing members of the Committee, PM Dion Ngute said, ‘‘there is every reason for all to continue working and engaging with different parties towards strengthening the peace process across the North West and South West Regions and addressing national challenges that were discussed at the dialogue.’’
The PM said, ‘‘in all the subdivisions of the North-West and South-West regions, the administration is present and they are working. There are some challenges, especially in enclaved areas where some of these thugs have taken to harassing the population, asking for ransoms, kidnapping etc. But on the whole, things are improving, and they are improving really fast.’’
He explained that, ‘‘in the economic domain, a lot of activity is taking place. The government is putting in efforts. Small and medium-sized enterprises are putting in effort. We saw the revitalisation of the CDC with government injecting some money into the CDC. The same is happening in many other enterprises. ‘’
The PM, Head of Government added that ‘’we see that the road network is improving. The Bamenda-Babadjou Road is near completion. The Ring Road is still going on. The Kumba-Ekondo Titi road is going on. Soon the Limbe-Douala road, with a stretch to Buea will start.’’
Dion Ngute hinted that, ‘‘we have seen that ELECAM has explained to us that this time around a lot of people are going to be able to vote because they are being accompanied by the military, the security forces and by the administrators, and they are making things much, much better this year, better than it was in 2018. So, a lot of positivity to take home, but we are all again calling on those of our misguided brothers and sisters who continue to make life impossible for their brethren in those two regions to desist from doing so.”
Joseph Dion Ngute enumerated the coming into being of a new decentralisation framework on which government has continued to work without reserve. Thanks to this, he said the nation now boasts of Regional Councils while the English-speaking regions have Regional Assemblies with Houses of Chiefs and other special features that tie to the Special Status that was attributed to the administrative units at the dialogue.
He concluded that, ‘‘there is no need for violence. The religious authorities took upon their role as mediators for peace and they have been talking to them to ask them to stop the violence, and a lot of them are doing so. And we remain open to continue this dialogue which the Head of State started five years ago within the framework of the Major National Dialogue and its follow-up committee.’’
Members resolved to intensify work across the globe to disrupt networks of separatists and their sponsors across the globe and to ensure more judicial actions are taken to bring them to book. The Committee also agreed on the need to extend appreciation to friendly countries supporting government efforts.