MECUDA Organised Anti COVID-19 Campaign Rally, Who Reaped the Fruits?

MECUDA Organised Anti COVID-19 Campaign Rally, Who Reaped the Fruits?

Faced with the current global pandemic and in answering the W.H.O call for all to jointly combat the killer disease, the Meta Cultural and Development Association (MECUDA) decided to organise a Meta Anti COVID-19 Response Challenge dubbed METACREC. The response plan saw concerned Meta sons and daughters from round the globe contributing funds and materials as individuals or groups to collectively bar COVID-19 from entering Meta land.

Mbon Motor Park, Launching Ground

On Thursday May 7th, the campaign was launched at the Mbon motor park, Mile 18 Mbengwi where buckets and bowls for hand washing, sanitisers, face masks and cartons of soap were on display before the watchful eyes of the population. Unfortunately, though not a showoff exercise,  tongues have been wagging online and offline within the Meta people at home and abroad as to who should take the credit for the "success" of the event.

Welcoming the population to the ceremonial ground, the mayor of the Mbengwi council, Ndangsa Kennedy Akam explained that "The main essence why we are out here today is to ensure that since initially the campaign has been centred only in Mbengwi urban, this time around, we will extend our tentacles to the interior villages for the message to be felt there too." He also thanked the people for the great turn out in number and challenged them to act as transmitters of the COVID-19 campaign message.

Ndangsa Kennedy Akam, Mayor, Mbengwi Council

The national President General of MECUDA, Ayaba David Ado would have been present on the event ground but unfortunately, he was suspiciously absent. It was rumoured and later on confirmed that while on his way to Mbengwi from Kumba for the event, he was kidnapped by a non state armed group somewhere in Mamfe. The news was however kept secret till after the successful grand launching and underground negotiations engaged after which good news was then broken that he had been freed.

It was for this reason that the home coordinator of the association, Mbanwi Stephen Anjeh had to address the crowd during the speech making sessions on behalf of the association during which he reiterated the message of prevention and offered a motion of thanks to the Fobang Foundation, the project executor and all other persons or groups that contributed to its successful realisation. 

Mbanwi Stephen Anjeh, MECUDA Home Coordinator, Personal Representative of the National P.G, Ayaba David

The METACREC launch presented a good opportunity for the new Member of Parliament for Momo East Constituency, Mbengwi, Hon. Injoh Foo Ngang Prodencia to "steal" the show and publicly address her constituents for the first time and "seize" the opportunity to launch her back to school campaign. Hear her, "Our subdivision has suffered enormously with children not going to school for more than three years today." She  challenged MECUDA to also mobilise efforts to ensure children in Meta land regain their classrooms when schools resume. 

To set the pace, she took a pledge that "I, as the parliamentarian have pledged to register the first five pupils and students in all the schools in my constituency. I shall be responsible for their registration fees" She added that Minister Mbah Acha Rose of Supreme State Audit, a daughter of the soil shall be supporting this initiative through the provision of basic school needs, didactic materials and award of prizes to pupils and students that distinguished themselves in their performances in the course of the academic year.

Hon. Injoh Foo Ngang Prodencia, M.P, Momo East Constituency

Note be taken that registration fees is different from school fees. Most if not all parents can afford registration fees for their kids but a majority can't afford school fees. Thus, the M.Ps pledge would've been worth the salt had it been she talked of school fees not registration fees. When the new Mbengwi Council Mayor took office, he promised to prioritise effective school resumption in his municipality. The new M.P for Momo East Constituency, Mbengwi has also joined the back to school campaign together with the minister. The population now awaits the fulfilment of their promises.

The METACREC launching ceremony was presided at by the Divisional Officer for Mbengwi, Sakwe Jarvis Esapa. In his keynote address, he thanked the brains behind the project in the following words, "Gone are those days when we lived on promises. We can see uncountable numbers of buckets, face masks, sanitisers which they've sacrificed their finances to see that not only should our health be prevented but restored. On this note, I say thank you to MECUDA."

D.O of Mbengwi, Sakwe Jarvis Esapa & other Officials Being Interviewed by the Press

Since he that works hard is often assigned more work, based on the success of the anti COVID-19 campaign, the D.O told MECUDA that, "I also charge this same association to come out with an anti terrorists plan to see how our sons and daughters in the bushes could come out and surrender their weapons because neither are they are  doing good to us, the community nor the development of Mbengwi which I think must have gone to some degree but for the crisis." He also regretted the neglect some persons are giving to the pandemic which to him stems from the effect of the Anglophone crisis. "It is a challenge which we all know the difficulties and hardship we have been facing. That is why some people are minimising the corona virus as a result of the fact that we've undergone and are still undergoing a crisis" said Esapa. 

Taking the lead in the mobilisation of funds and drafting of the project implementation modalities has been His Royal Highness Professor Wilfred Mbacham, traditional ruler of Funam village cum titular of public health biotechnology. Prior to the launching ceremony, some 12 experts of Meta origin including the professor held a teleconference at the end of which they resolved that in addition to the donations, an oxygen canister and a nanometre shall be offered to the Mbengwi district hospital while some medics will be provided Personal Protection Equipments (PPE) like gloves, face shield, shoe cover, suit etc.

Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) for Medics in Mbengwi

Sample PPE Suit

Spearheading ground works prior to, during and after the launching ceremony was the head of the coordination committee, Tebe Beatrice. Talking to the press at the end of the launching, she explained that the action plan of distributing the items is being put in place by the Fobang Foundation. Moreover, she disclosed that the decentralized health service system that provides healthcare at door steps of households will visit them for more education and distribution. "We have seen how people are wearing masks in various forms. We've seen how people wash hands very poorly and so no matter how you demonstrate it in public, it is important to take it to the doorsteps of every individual" she added. 

H.R.H Prof. Wilfred Mbacham, Founder, Fobang Foundation, Executor of METACREC

Tebe Beatrice, Head of Coordination Committee

At press time churches, palaces, village development association presidents from across the entire clan have been trooping the Mbengwi Council premise to carry their kits to their various communities. The trained volunteers and health workers too have also been criss crossing the villages too with the messages they were taught to pass across and items to distribute. Of recent, the NW governor, Adolph Lele Lafrique through an official communiqué attested that a suspected and later confirmed COVID-19 case was discovered in Mbengwi but is currently  undergoing treatment in Bamenda.