Mbengwi Breathes, Momo Division Regains Life

Mbengwi Breathes, Momo Division Regains Life

The Momo Divisional Headquaters, Mbengwi in the North West Region of Cameroon is reported to be speedily regaining its normal life. In the advent of the escalation of the current sociopolitical impasse in the two English speaking regions of the country, inhabitants who escaped to other areas for safety due to fear of the unknown and insecurity have been returning to regain their daily activities. At the Mbon Motor Park, Mile 18 Mbengwi, the economic hub of the sub division, its business as usual. Peddlers have been crisscrossing the streets with their goods, township taxis and commercial motor bikes are back on the bumpy roads.

A Bird's Eye View of Mbon Motor Park on a Normal Day

Tanah Felix has been earning a living out of bike ridding in Mbengwi for over five years now. To him, as compared to the recent past, things are getting better especially as he can now access bush roads that were hitherto blocked. "I can now make about 5.000F a day." he said. It should be recalled that prior to the last presidential election of October 7th 2018, all the major roads into and out of the 31 villages that make up the Meta Clan in Mbengwi were blocked with tree trunks by separatist fighters. The transport sector was completely grounded. Business came to a standstill.

Tanah Felix, Commercial Motor Bike Ridder

Mah Roseline is a trader in the Mbon Main Market, Mbengwi. She opined that business is still timid as many persons are still in the bushes. "We used to close at 6 O'Clock but because of the curfew, at times we start packing by 4pm" she said and wished that the regional governor could lift the dusk to dawn curfew he imposed so that business can boom again. "It's not even showing that we are in December" she ended. As if she was being heard in high offices, the N.W Regional Governor, Lele Lafrique on Saturday November 24th 2018 signed an order shifting the commencement time of the security restriction that was placed on the movement of persons and goods within the region from 6pm to 9pm. This was applauded in several quarters especially as they had been loud cries from citizens for the regional boss to readjust the curfew time.

Mah Roseline, Businesswoman

Tata Erasmus, another Mbengwi based businessman, castigated propagators of fake news on social media about insecurity in Mbengwi. To him, quite often fake news is spread online that Mbengwi is deserted meanwhile normal life is on going. He affirmed that life in Mbengwi is livable yet propagators of fake news keep blowing false alarms of how the town is unlivable. On November 22nd, one of the fake news that was spread on WhatsApp groups read thus:

ALERT MBENGWI

8 LRC mil. trucks stationed dere now ready 2 attack all camps. Pple along the tracks, go away NOW

But from investigations, according to administrative sources, some military trucks actually entered Mbengwi on the said day to carry away the household items of some uniform elements that had been redeployed out of Mbengwi and not for any attack per se. Tata Erasmus however admitted that life is still somehow difficult. He said, "There are days we get up and hear gunshots. We simply close our shops and return home. There are days life goes on normally."

Tata Erasmus, Businessman

The return to normalcy is not only centralised within Mbengwi town. Down in the suburbs, life is reported to also be regaining steam there. The historic Tad market in Nyen village, located about some 5km from the divisional headquarters is said to be bouncing back. The market stopped functioning about six months back after human and material losses were recorded when government troops engaged separatist fighters in serious gun battles. Tad market was the battle ground.

"Compared to other places I've been to like Fundong and Wum, I'll say life in Mbengwi is calm." This is the view of Evangelist Abanda Edwin,  a resident who added that the rumours on social media are not quite accurate because so far, people have been able to open their stores and carry on their normal daily activities unperturbed. He alluded this serenity to the good governance of the Senior Divisional Officer for Momo and his administration. He regretted that there are still many uninhabited compounds within the sub division whose initial occupants have abandoned not because of any real security threat but rather because of fright caused by blowers of false alarms on the internet. "We have been here since the crisis started and we are still alive and strong. Despite the relative peace and problems that we have here and there, compared to other places, we are thanking God the situation is calming down while hoping for the much needed peace that we've been crying for to come in few days or months." he added. Asked if he feels secured in Mbengwi, he responded in the affirmative. This he justified by saying he's able to walk around freely and go about his normal life with neither any uniform officer accompanying him nor anybody disturbing him. "I must say that the peace is relative in the sense that we still have problems but such come up only once in a while and they are often not huge to disturb the whole town but just a part." he ended.

Abanda Edwin, Evangelist

His views were shared by Mr. Nyudze David, a civil servant working at the Momo Divisional Delegation of Basic Education. To him, Mbengwi is regaining its strength as those who had escaped are returning. He corroborated the opinion of Abanda Edwin by adding that this is because of the collaboration between the administration and the military in Mbengwi as opposed to other places where the military is taking the law into its hands and causing havoc thereby frightening many people to escape. Nyudze David confirmed life is better in Mbengwi compared to other areas. He went on to say "The administration gives directives on how the military should operate and that's why there's relative calm and peace." He concluded by testifying that normally, not all who had been displaced will return because some have come across greener pastures in Douala, Yaounde and other towns.

Nyudze David, Civil Servant

Just like in Mbengwi, normal life is reported to also be returning to the other Sub Divisions in Momo Division like Njikwa, Widikum, Batibo, Ngie. Cho Clovis is a  preacher from Andek in Ngie. Painting a picture of how life is in his area, he said its not been easy because all roads are blocked thus making survival difficult. He added that the people are really suffering because they don't have a market as the ones they had before were all destroyed. In a moody tone, he articulated that, "As a pastor, I only hope that God will intervene in this situation and help us because some people are really suffering a lot, not just in Ngie but elsewhere also." On whether or not normalcy is returning to Ngie in the midst of the crisis, he confirmed it is but at a very slow rate because some of the roads that were blocked have been reopened and people are managing to go through even though moving with a lot of fear. "I really wish that normalcy should return. If I'm to give a message to anyone out there from Ngie especially from Andek, I'll advise them to come back home." he ended.

Cho Clovis, Andek-Ngie Inhabitant

As testified by all those  interviewed, the normalcy now reigning is very much cherished and they wished it remains as such forever. The Meta Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon recently joined the rest of her Christians nationwide to commemorate the 61st edition of the P.C.C's independence from the Basel Mission in Switzerland. Two weeks after, the Christian Women Fellowship of the Presbytery met on the school field of the Presbyterian Teacher's Training College Mbengwi for its 2018 annual rally. The massive turnout at these two religious eventd was clearly indicative of the fact that the population is once more feeling comfortable with life at home.

P.C.C Women Rally at Mile 19

Mbengwi Council Holds 2019 Budgetary Session

Mbengwi Council Holds 2019 Budgetary Session

Close to 10 councillors out of 25 were absent from the session, some without sending a proxy. It is assumed these are those with no intentions of renewing their mandate come 2019. Thus, they took insecurity as an excuse for absenting.  The 2019 Budgetary Account Session of the Mbengwi Council was held last Friday November 9 2018 in the council hall. The budgetary account is a working document that provides a provisional view of an expected revenue and expenditure management guide.

In her welcome address, Mayor Tebe Beatrice regretted that the current crisis has caused an untoward effect that challenges every aspect of life: social, economic and political not only in Mbengwi but the entire division, region and country. This has grossly affected local input and output. She however remained optimistic that as nothing lasts forever, government will soon ensure an enabling atmosphere.

L-R: Fouda Nicaise (D.O), Absalom Monono (S.D.O), Tebe Beatrice (Mayor)

The two days event started on Thursday November 8th with an All Committees Meeting whose deliberations and resolutions were then reported to the proper session that was held the next day. Designated spokespersons of the Health & Education, Natural Resources, Embellishment, Works & Transport, Finance committees each took turns to report on their observations since after the last session. Each report was followed by reactions and comments. The project to purchase a hearse for the council mortuary and open a council radio station came under strong scrutinisation. The S.D.O, Absalom Monono kicked against them on basis that Mbengwi is already having several business persons dealing in funeral services and that there's already a privately owned radio station within the municipality added to the multiple ones in Bamenda town and beyond whose waves are well received in Mbengwi.   He encouraged the council to involve its budget in fixed investments for income generation like opening up more markets, real estate business and not perishable investments like buying of cars that will rather demand more money to run and maintain. To Monono, when investing in a project, focus should first be on the social importance before the anticipated economic gains.

He frowned at civil servants taking advantage of the crisis not to work on false basis of insecurity, contrary to business persons who know that if they don't open their shops, they won't eat. He regretted why a whole divisional headquarters like Mbengwi, one of the oldest in the entire nation and the closest to Bamenda, the regional headquarters will not have a single Nigerian or Bamileke business magnet in the Mbon main market. He said it point blank that the Meta people don't have an open door policy. That they prefer to confiscate all the sheds in the Mbon main market and use them as parking stores rather than allow "foreigners" to come in and own the sheds. This, contrary to other areas like Ndop where the Bamilekes are the ones that have championed the economic and infrastructural development of the area.

Councillors & Service Heads in Session

On the issue of Tad market that stopped functioning with the escalation of the current crisis, the S.D.O, D.O, Mayor and Councillors were all unanimous in deciding to reawaken the Meta people's historical Tad market in Nyen village. Other mushroom markets were already sprouting up around Mile 19, Njindom, Mile 18 and other areas because of the collapse of Tad market. To match words with action, on the 12th of November 2018, the Divisional Officer for Mbengwi, Fouda Etaba Bernoit Nicaise signed a communiqué compelling all vendors and buyers to immediately stop the mushroom markets and return to the original Tad market site in Nyen village. It should be recalled that business persons abandoned the market more than six months back after government troops engaged separatist fighters there in fierce battles that resulted to killings and burnings.

The icing on the cake of the recently held Mbengwi Council budgetary account session was the presentation of a Nation Builder's Award to Mayor Tebe Beatrice by NewsWatch newspaper as Cameroon's Best Female Mayor for instilling transparency in council management and championing development in the Mbengwi municipality. Reacting to the distinctive recognition,  Mayor Tebe Beatrice née Mbamuku Nduku said "An award of this nature is something that goes to motivate. It is the collaboration that we have as councillors that has pushed Mbengwi Council into the limelight. I thank them so much." With every sign of joy and happiness in her heart, she added that "Hopefully as Mbengwi Council is being known from place to place, our needs will be met and we shall grab the fruits of our labour."

Mayor Tebe Beatrice Awarded Best Female Mayor in Cameroon

Before the S.D.O closed the session, councillors empowered the mayor to formerly recruit a Public Relations Officer, Library Attendant and Night Watch Man, transform biodegradable waste into manure, travel to seek for more partnership and funding whenever requested by the state.

While closing the session after successful deliberations, the S.D.O for Momo Division, Absalom Monono Woloa booed at councillors and workers that had taken residence out of Mbengwi even when the atmosphere is calm thus making them (administrators) feel abandoned and lonely. Hear him,  "We cannot continue to give the impression to the rest of the country and the world that Momo Division in general and Mbengwi in particular is the worst place to live in by continuing to be roving ambassadors of our municipality." He however attracted a thunderous round of applause from the councillors when he told the returnees "Welcome back and know that your presence is going to give us hope and equally to your population." Monono proceeded to congratulate the council executives and councillors for being the first within the division to hold a budgetary session for 2019 within the prescribed time as provided for by Law No. 2004/017 of 22nd July 2004.

L: Gwain Willibroad (Municipal Treasurer) & R: Ndokonyi Musa (Council S.G)

As supervisory authority of the council, Monono called on the council executives, councillors and council workers to engage and join the administration in the campaign of calling all inhabitants that had left the municipality to return home  and to encourage the effective functioning of businesses and resumption of schools. "We should rise above fear and put on the determination to serve our people whose only wish is to have a better life" he told the councillors.

The Mbengwi Council budget for the year 2019 is balanced in income and expenditure at the sum of 699, 274, 465 (Six hundred and ninety nine million, two hundred and seventy four thousand, four jundred and sixty five) FCFA.

P.S.S Nkwen Abductions; Fru Ndi Tasks N.W Governor & MINAT Boss to Expose the Hidden Truth Behind the Drama

P.S.S Nkwen Abductions; Fru Ndi Tasks N.W Governor & MINAT Boss to Expose the Hidden Truth Behind the Drama
(Dedicated to Mimi Mefo, Equinox TV Journalist Detained at New Bell Prison, Douala)

Ni John Fru Ndi, National Chairman of the Social Democratic Front, S.D.F, the main opposition party in Cameroon was speaking to the press last Wednesday November 7th 2018 during an event organised by the North West Regional Governor, Lele Lafrique Tchoffo Deben Adolphe to officially present the abducted students of Presbyterian Secondary School, Nkwen after they were rescued from the hands of their kidnappers by the military, according to government sources. At the end of the brief session that took place at the Regional Delegation of Secondary Education, Up Station Bamenda, Fru Ndi tasked the regional governor and the Minister of Territorial Administration, Atanga Nji Paul to speak the truth, at least for once. To him, there's a double game being played somewhere by someone unknown individuals. "Who is trying to deceive who? What are we hiding? Let the truth come out. Let the governor and his authorities here tell us what is happening. Let the Minister of Territorial Administration tell the North Westerners what is happening" Fru Ndi vomited.

Ni John Fru Ndi, S.D.F National Chairman

He went ahead to say "they" already killed a lecturer and am American missionary in Bambili. To him, Bamenda was becoming the centre of education and now "they" want to destroy it. "All the problems we are facing now started because the educational authorities said there was something wrong with the educational system and for the problems to be resolved 'they' are currently destroying everything that is of education in the North West" Fru Ndi added. Without any fear or favour, he continued by saying "The North West is being destroyed by the government not by Ambazonians"

78 of the 82 abducted students and staff members of the school were freed three days after the incidence took place. According to Mr. Affuh Stephen, National President of the Presbyterian Educational Authority Teacher's Trade Union, PEATTU, they were released by their captors and taken to Presbyterian Church  Nsem in Bafut where they were abandoned and later rescued by the military. "As a trade union leader, I am consoled that these innocent children have been released but my heart bleeds because my colleagues (teachers) are yet to be released. We don't know their fate as of now" he articulated.

Affuh Stephen, PEATTU National President

From their very dirty appearance, it was obvious the students went through hardship. Almost all were in night wears indicative that there were woken up from sleep and forcefully taken to the unknown area. "Honestly speaking, I am really devastated and feeling very sorry when I look at the appearance of these children given that they were taken away from school early Sunday morning breaking Monday under very appalling conditions" Affuh Stephen lamented. Circumstances surrounding their successful abduction from Nkwen to Bafut at night, a time expected to be under the full control of the military is still setting tongues wagging. Ni John Fru Ndi wondered how a whole bus will drive into a school and carry over 80 humans and the curfew does not get them meanwhile about three weeks ago, his driver was shot at by the police on his left ankle at about 6:15pm because he was found on the streets after 6pm. The PEATTU National President had a better insight into what really transpired. He recounted that from his findings, the abductors tried to take away the abductees in a vehicle that got broken. Finally the children were driven as a herd of cattle to where they were kept, he revealed.

After seeing her lost but found kid, one of the joyous parents recounted how upon getting the sad news, she went straight into reading Psalms 23 which assured her that although her daughter will walk through the valley of death, she shall fear no evil because the staff of God will comfort her. She understood life is full of hurdles and so cultivated hope and trust in God because He has never failed and will never.

Happy Parent Whose Daughter Was Released

The S.D.F National Chairman will later move into comparing the past and present. He recalled how Kamto declared himself winner of the just ended presidential election and ended up being arrested only to be released the next day but when he, Fru Ndi won the elections in 1992, he was held under house arrest for three months and mayhem rained on the Bamenda people. "I am an Anglophone and the Anglophone problem hurts me right in the heart because I am not being given my due rights in this country" he yelled.

N.W governor, Adolph Lele Lafrique addressing the media persons said of the 82 abducted, four persons are still missing (two students and two staff members) but all is being done to get them back. He also announced the release of the D.O of Noni that was abducted days back even before the Nkwen incidence. He went further to ask the population to rally behind the head of state so that together, normalcy can be brought back to the region provided all those wrongly involved in the fight against the state surrender. This to Fru Ndi was baseless because no guarantee was given for their safety. He wondered aloud why President Paul Biya is able to negotiate with Boko Harams who aren't even Cameroonians but can't appease his own hurt citizens. The governor ended by promising that, in his words, "While waiting for the situation to come back to long lasting normalcy, the curfew will soon be lifted provided we all join hands together with our security services, traditional rulers and administrative authorities to help the situation"

As to the way forward, Mr. Affuh Stephen thinks the educational system shouldn't be held hostage in this situation. "Schools, churches and hospitals are no go zones in times of crisis like this" he cautioned. He ended by making reference to a recently released communiqué from the moderator's office indicating that the P.C.C will be forced to suspend its schools because of insecurity. In the communiqué, the moderator called on both separatist fighters and the government to provide adequate security so that schools can go on without which the only option will be to shut them down.

At press time, P.S.S Nkwen has been temporarily shut down. After hard negotiations, parents have been permitted to take their kids back home and wait till further notice.

To Perform at Funerals, Dance Groups Now Managing "Matango" in the Absence of Beer

To Perform at Funerals, Dance Groups Now Managing "Matango" in the Absence of Beer

As the current anglophone crisis continue to escalate, more and more facets of the society are increasingly being negatively affected. Insecurity coupled with the dusk to dawn curfew imposed by the North West Regional Governor has drastically reduced the celebration part of funerals. Nowadays, there's often no time to carry out all the funeral rights that were performed in the past when normalcy reigned.

According to Mr. Ndakwa James, a custodian of the Meta culture, in the the past, deaths in Meta were celebrated for about three days or one week but today because of the crisis, celebrations no longer take up to a day. "Now we burry some of the people these days, we don't even celebrate because of fear and insecurity." he said.

Masquerades Dancing

Many of the funeral rites have now been either modified or abandoned. As a result of the crisis, many persons including family heads and successors have died and been buried in far off areas and foreign lands due to no means of transporting their mortal remains to where their navels were planted. Unfortunate ones have died in the bushes and their corpses fed on by birds and animals. Can a spell befall a family because its member wasn't given a befitting burial? A question I posed to Mr. Ndakwa James. "We cannot say there'll be any effects because we haven't seen and buried the corpse. Unless you bury some body before all those traditional rites can be performed." He responded. He added that it was believed in those days something terrible will happen because burials were done according to ancestral lineage. But today since the corpses killed by any means are not seen or brought back to the family compound, there'll be no effects because they've not been buried the normal way during which such rites would've been performed.

It is now common these days to see mourners at funerals dispersing immediately after burial especially those from afar. The interest in food and drinks has reduced. Priority is now given to safety. No one dares to bare the risk of not being home before 6pm. A lot has changed culturally. Traditional dance groups that used to demand crates of beer before performing at funerals are now adapting to changing times. In the absence of the crocodile, they have no choice than to manage the lizard. Le Brasseries du Cameroun drinks have been banned by separatist fighters in the two English speaking regions.

Children Who Should be Going to School Now Dancing at Funerals

Mr. Ngu Emmanuel Meneme is of the Sang Mukonge Dance Group. To him, since beers like Export, Mutzïg (without any publicity) etc are no longer in circulation, their new condition is that the bereaved reserves palm wine otherwise known as "Matango", " Mbuh", "Fuchuh" for their dance group as one of the conditions to perform.

Interestingly though pathetic, children who should be going to school are now forming their own dance groups to perform at funerals so as to entertain the crowd, make some money and learn their culture. Not only did the separatist fighters prohibit the selling and consumption of Brasseries drinks which they now classify as contraband goods, they also prohibited the functioning of schools.

Young "Juju" Dance

The decision of closing down schools for over two years now  has been highly condemned both nationally and internationally. The government of Cameroon has been fighting hard to see into it that schools effectively resume all over the two restive English speaking regions yet, little successes has since been recorded only in the urban towns. In the rural areas, school campuses are now hunting grounds. Teachers have diverted to other sources of livelihood while pupils and students are increasingly getting duller as days go by. Only few fortunate ones are able to relocate to areas where classes are effectively on going.

Anglophone War; Can Peace Return Via Football?

Anglophone War; Can Peace Return Via Football?

Gunshots, cries of the bereaved, panic, internal displacement and psychological trauma are what have characterised the atmosphere in Anglophone Cameroon for the past two years and still counting. Public gatherings are now dreaded because  where two or three are gathered, there is often fear of an imminent attack either by government forces or separatist fighters. Such are often unfounded because almost all gatherings end well as they started.

In the midst of these challenges, youths in Mbengwi Central Sub Division have decided to shun fear and go about their normal life unperturbed while respecting the law. One of the best ways to relief youths from the stress of  the fear of the unknown is to unite and engage them in what they like doing most. Because football is a unifying game, it was for this reason that Mile 17 F.C and Mbengwi Veterans  met on the G.S Chigwiri football field for a friendly encounter last Saturday October 3rd  2018. Though intended to be an amicable match, the game ended up producing lots of fireworks.

Seta Beats of Mbengwi Veteran 

Seta Withgodep Viertz artistically known as Seta Beats is a player for Mbengwi Veterans. To him, peace can be sought for through football. "Sports has no boundary. It's a medium to unite youths especially and bring peace, love and promote young talents among us" he said.

To Mundi Hope of Mile 17 F.C, it wasn't an easy encounter especially as it was more of beginners meeting old brooms in the game but they proved their worth. He said "Though they are older than us, experienced and professional in the way they played, we tried our best too because we are a young team. I tried to put my boys together so we can become stronger. It wasn't that easy but hopefully next time we will do better." Asked if there was any special message he was sending across through football with the current crisis, he said "Yes, for sure because it's a game of love, it's a game that brings people together which means that if football is given a place, then love can lead and obviously, they'll be peace."

Player for Mile 17 F.C in a Spectacular Hard Trick

At the blast of the final whistle by the central referee, the score line situation stood at 4 goals on  either sides giving a total of 8 goals scored during the encounter.