Back to School: Hundreds Stranded As Politics Halt Functioning of GTC Kung

By Njie Bonwali Josseph 

Fon Kum Gilbert disappointed with politicking in Fungom

Menchum Division, in the Northwest Region of Cameroon has been noted for politics of bitterness. Yet Fungom sub Division seemingly has had a fair share of it. The Member of Parliament for Menchum North, Hon. Ndong Larry Hills was almost beaten to death by his District chairman for Fungom, Ngong Rex. Allegedly, the long accumulated political grievances finally exploded during a village development meeting at Bafmen in the presence of Fon Anneng Francis, CPDM Polibureau member. Though in detention and has been sacked from the SDF, it is clear that Menchum especially Fungom is the Eldorado of politics of bitterness just like Nkambe in Donga Mantung Division. The most pathetic thing is that politics in this part of the country has been moved into school milieu with some political kingpins using it to settle political scores.  

In 2011, government saw the need to create Government Technical College Kung, in Fungom sub Division yet three years have passed without any Principal being sent to manage the functioning of the school and as well, without any sign of proof that the college will go functional.

A school of thought holds that a certain self-proclaimed political kingpin of the CPDM has vowed that the college will not function as the Fon of the Kung Second Class Fondom has continuously elected to criticize the undemocratic, mal-governance and gerontocratic political CPDM Government.

Tension is reported in Kung village especially as it is rumoured that the population has to disburse a sum of two hundred and fifty thousand francs (250 000) to obtain a land title for the college. Allegedly, a sum of 220.000 (hard earned currency) has been disbursed to this effect with the hope that the school will go functional this year, yet all hopes have been lost as school resumed this week without a Principal being appointed to head the college. Some of the villagers are pointing accusing fingers at the CPDM bigwigs for frustrating the future of their kids and the entire village. When contacted the Fon of Kung lamented that “I find it politically and democratically unacceptable that, a Government which pretends to be initiating a democratization process in the country, treats its citizens in a very relentless, inglorious and egregious manner, because, my subjects and I have elected a critical political stand against the mal-Governance practices of the CPDM regime”. Fon Kum Gilbert argued that “I seriously frowned at the electoralist creation of this politicized school, which was sanctioned by a Prime Ministerial decree no: 2011/2141/PM, dated the 5th of August 2011, as a result of its non functioning mechanisms 3 years after its creation”. Fon Kum Gilbert who is a Consultant Lobbyist accredited to the French and European Union Parliaments, argued that “I seriously frowned at the electoralist creation of this politicized school.

He said when he discovered that politicians wanted to hijack the school for different motives, in consultation with other village dignitaries, the President of Kung Development and Cultural Association—KUDECA was sacked because, he used the Development Association’s finances to transport Kung subjects right to Yaoundé to visit and thank a politician who purported to have created the GTC Kung.

 It is feared that some gate crashers must have destroyed that letter given the corrupt nature and incompetence of some of these CPDM politicians.

 “My arguements are founded with the facts that, other schools that where created at the same time and with the same Prime Ministerial Decree went operational since the academic year 2011/12” he told us on phone.

“Therefore, my questions are why has this electoralist and political discrimination mechanism been relentlessly invested in my Kung fondom? Is my Fondom having no right to get access in and to the establishment of the national resources and development attributes and resources on our fatherland as defined and established by our fundamental principles? Why should the creation of schools be used as electoral and political blackmail instruments by the CPDM regime? In Political Science, such political behaviours constitute and fulfil the characteristics of a banana state functional regime. I am not scared and afraid of any CPDM politicians and or administrators who believe they can use state resources and political attributes and mechanisms in hindering the progress and development of its citizenry. With such skeleton political behaviours, how can we attain the 2035 millenium goal as constantly propagandized by the CPDM regime? I really cast some political doubts if these politicians and administrators hindering the progress of their fatherland are real patriots, politicians or political marchandizers. If Cameroon would have been a democracy, their qualifications as politicians and administrators really need to go through a scrutiny test mechanism.

 Education being a right and not a favour should not suffer from the mal-governance practices that are being orchestrated on our fatherland by incompetent CPDM administrators and politicians. I don't give any recognition and opportunity to those naked undemocratic and what I will qualify in my own words as a primitive political mal-governance behaviour from those CPDM guys there”. I think that, the Divisional Delegate of Secondary education is incompetent and as well, a member of the CPDM regime who could be immediately sacked from office, if Cameroon was a bona fide democracy.

 When contacted, Muh Kah Mathiew confirmed that the sum of 220.000 FCFA has been disbursed to acquire a land certificate for the school. All attempts to get to the Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education for Menchum and Divisional Chief of State Property and Land Tenure were not fruitful.

It should be noted that the Kung Development and Cultural Association whose main objectives and "raison d'être" are principally based on development and cultural activities/projects has not been having it easy with the local administrators.

In reacting to the moves by politicians and administrators to frustrate development efforts in his village, Fon Kum Gilbert said that “democracy and good governance cannot be conjured when citizens and their communities are being deprived from their fundamental rights, which are considered to be a favour by a gerontocratic dilapidating CPDM regime. How can they be maltreating and viciously depriving my Fondom and  subjects the right to education, when education is the backbone of all developed, democratic and enlightened societies/countries in the World. Education being a democratic right as enshrined by international conventions and instruments in which, Cameroon is a signatory member cannot be subjected and used as a politically and purely electoralist instrument in the development of my Fondom and as well, against my Fondom”. Fon Kum Gilbert said he will spare no efforts to draw the attention of the permanent representative of UNESCO in Cameroon, and other democratic and human rights institution in and out of Cameroon, notably, the UN, EU, CONAC and others, to know that, in Cameroon the creation and functioning of government educational institutions are electorally politicized, which substantiates the unfounded, mal-governance and corrupt reason why, the electoralist created GTC Kung has not yet still gone operational till date, meanwhile, other schools created by the same Prime Ministerial decree had gone operational since the academic year 2011/12.

He continued that  “It is politically established now that, because I called on my subjects to vote against the CPDM during the Presidential elections of 2011, has grounded and handicapped the mechanisms that could enable this school go operational since its creation. Again in the year 2013, during the twin electioneering exercise, I personally served my subjects with an electoral and political advice titled "WHERE IS THE SCHOOL", and assigned some of my subjects to carry out a door to door campaign programme against the CPDM in my Fondom.  I am politically and Traditionally determined and ready to face any CPDM pseudo politician in the area or in Cameroon who politically thinks that, my arguments are not founded, taking into consideration the elements and facts surrounding this electoralist politically created school in my Fondom”.

 

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