Donga Mantung Takes Lead in PDI-CDA Implimentation

The population of Donga Mantung has answered the clarion call to fully participate in championing peace building and development in their respective communities. 

This was during the official opening of a two-day Capacity training seminar organized by the North-West Regional Assembly on Peace Development Initiatives (PDI) and Community Decentralized Activities (CDA) in Donga Mantung Division. The seminar that brought together all important stakeholders in the Division, took place on February 24, 2023 at the Nkambe council hall.

Speaking to the over 500 participants that turned out for the seminar from the 5 sub divisions of the Donga Mantung (Ako,  Misaje, Ndu, Nkambe and Nwa Sub Divisions), the Divisional coordinator for PDI, Donga Mantung, Hon. Kalak Flavius Boteh highlighted that,

"Peace and development are crucial prerequisites for the maintenance of human dignity and as stakeholders, we all are called upon to collectively put hands on deck and join the band wagon  of building peace and driving development in our Division, Region and Nation at large".

"It has always been the vision of the President of the North-West Regional Assembly, Prof. Fru Fobuzshi ANGWAFO III to ensure, commitment and continuous interaction and involvement of all stakeholders in peace talks towards the construction of a new North-West Region where everyone counts and is counted. Not only shall no one is left behind; but we must all move ahead together as in our proverbial slogan “U na Mi, Mi na U, Wi bi Wi” He added.

It should be noted that, since the putting in place of Regions, the North-West Regional Assembly has been able to sit and deliberate nine (9) times in plenary sessions arriving at a total of 44 deliberations. The primordial of all the deliberations were those with the vision to build peace in the North-West Region through community driven decentralized activities, a way to rebranding a new North-West. Some of the deliberations resulted in the inscription of peace building mission in the Assembly's budget and the putting in place of peace and development committees in the 34 Sub Divisions of the North-West to champion the peace mission. In this spirit, the North-West Regional Assembly seeks to drive peace and local development in our  communities. 

To achieve this, citizen participation is key, as it is statutory and enshrined in sections 40 and 41 of the Bill to Institute the General Code of Regional and Local Authorities, providing individuals (the Citizens, inhabitants, the public of the NWR) the opportunity to influence public decision making with regards to peace and development. We must use local solutions to local problems to drive peace and development in their respective communities. 

Hon. Kalak also urged the stakeholders to  through their  representation, sensitize and mobilise the entire population of Donga Mantung to actively participate at all stages of the Regional development cycle (planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, reporting) etc. "Your Regional Executive Council has been trying in its own ways to ensure that the "no one is left behind" principle is observed through this Citizen Participation". He added. 

He further called on all  members of Sub Divisional and Divisional Peace Development Committees, to be peace ambassadors leading by example so that one day we live in a Division and a North-West Region free of hate, jealousy, gossip, backbiting, envy,  threats, verbal abuse, physical abuse of any kind, assault, battery, kidnapping, murder etc. 

The North-West Regional Assembly peace building mission in Donga Mantung Division has been ongoing through concertations, consultation, award of scholarships, distribution of didactic materials, distribution of MEDSHARE PPE, organization of sporting activities, meetings etc.

And the one day capacity training seminar was organized to equip Divisional and Sub Divisional peace and development committee members on their respective functions and to highlight procedures and guidelines on how they are goingto implement the peace development initiative (PDI) through Community Decentralized Activities (CDA) using the bottom top and human intensity labour approaches (HILA).

The earmarked projects for Donga Mantung under the guideline of the Regional Executive Council, that were costed by the competent technical state service concerned (the Delegation for Public Works) include:

- The manual maintenance of 6.6km of the AKO-Dumbo Berabe road (6,000,000FCFA),

- The manual maintenance of 3km of the communal road Moh-Tchina and the leveling of the court yard of the youth empowerment center in Misaje (9,000,000FCFA),

- The manual maintenance of 6.6km of the ring road Kakar-Mbiyeh(6,000,000FCFA),

- The manual maintenance of 6.6km of the communal roads new market junction – GBHS Nkambe – Binju, Grandstand junction – ST RITA‟s college Nkambe(6,000,000FCFC).

- The manual maintenance of the first 10km of the Communal road Nwa-Ntong (9,000,000FCFA)

These projects are expected to employ  about 500 targeted youths for this year and may be increased in the years to come. 

During the seminar, technical guidelines and  terms of reference for the implementation of human high intensity labour approach were presented. Selected experts also drilled participants on key topics like communication during crisis period, active and creative peace building activities for long lasting peace, citizen participation in peace building etc.

Worthy of note is the fact that, the North West Regional Assembly's PDI  consist, a holistic approach, that brings on board evrryone in the communities - Fons, Ardos, Religious authorities, Quarter heads, Municipal Councillors,  Representatives of women and youth groups, commercial bikes drivers unions, Vigilante groups/lay security agents, registered beneficiaries etc.

Joining his voice with that of Hon. Kalak, the Mayor of Nkambe, Shey Nfor Musa highlighted that, as individual citizens, we all have to keep playing the lead role of engaging on constant mass sensitization for behavior change activities in our immediate communities, with the view to; De-radicalize our youths, stop hate speech and abusive use of social media, reject violence as a means of obtaining political gains, promoting a mind shift that  embraces peace and giving one another a chance to live by accepting and tolerating differences in opinion etc. "Let's Refuse to spread any inflammatory information that may jeopardize peace, denounce all those who  stand against peace and local development etc. Encourage the respect for State and personal property, public institutions, emblems, and promote initiatives aimed at institutionalizing dialogue and reconciliation among members of our  communities. Peace and Development Committees formed in every Sub Divisions should mediate and bring healing among afflicted persons". He added.

The next phase of the project that follows  consists of field work proper where in the  communities will engage in these community Decentralized Activities for peace building and development.

Source: North West Regional Assembly

Birthday Wishes to President Biya from Hon. Agho Oliver

Member of parliament for Bafut/Tubah Constituency, Hon. Agho Oliver has thanked God for the Life of president Paul Biya, Cameroon's Head of State who turned 90 on Monday February 13th 2023.

At a symbolic event dedicated to celebrate the birthday of the country's president, organized by the member of parliament, thanks to the country's interior minister Paul Atanga Nji, the MP said, for living up to the age of 90, president Paul Biya has "disproved prophets of doom and scientists world over, who have constantly given to the understanding that Africans can never live to such a ripe age and that the life expectancy rate in Cameroon can ever go above 65."

Living to the ripe age of 90, he said, is not by chance nor by power, but a special grace of God, which president Biya incarnates via personal discipline, service to humanity and dedicated leadership.

Considering that just like Amos in the bible, whose living to the ripe age of 900 was believed to belong to one of the most exclusive clubs in the old testament; and so too is our President Paul Biya;

Reaffirming the latter and spirit of Psalms 90 (the only Psalms that is credited to Moses), and which Psalms invite those gone past the age of 70, 80, and upwards to apply their hearts to wisdom, exactly what our hero of the day, President Paul Biya has been doing; especially in skillfully managing the multiple conflicts;

Regarding the fact that the bible is clear on the fact that virgin Mary remained with Elizabeth for 90 days for the birth of John the Baptist, and that all the prayers and all the thanksgiving directed directly to God are mentioned just 90 times in the New Testament, Cameroonians have a reason to celebrate the fact that its leadership is having an opportunity to share such symbolism;

In joining our critical voices with those of other well-meaning Cameroonians, we, the active forces of the North West Region of Cameroon, pray God to continue to bless and preserve our leader, President Paul Biya, so he continues to steer ship of state to safe shores.

Speech by Hon Agho Oliver