MOPUSC 2026, Mbengwi Grabs All Again

Minister Mbah Acha Brandishing 3 Million Francs Cash Prize Won by the Football Champions, 11 Ripe Peppers of Mbengwi

3 million for football boys, 2 million for football girls, 2 million for handball boys and 2 million for handball girls totalling 9 million were the cash prizes won by teams that emerged champions at the just ended Momo for Peace and Unity Super Sports Competition dubbed MOPUSC 2026, all from Mbengwi. 

In the handball boys final, Awandandam Conquerors of Mbengwi beat 7 Ripe Peppers of Mbengwi 31 goals to 30 while in handball girls, Down Beach of Mbengwi defeated Wumtaw Girls of Njikwa 54 goals to 53. In football girls, Awandam Conquerors of Mbengwi overpowered Young Eagles of Batibo at post match penalties 5 - 3 after both teams ended regular play time on a 1 - 1 draw and in football boys, 11 Ripe Peppers of Mbengwi trashed Njikwa F.C 2 - 0.

The Momo for Peace and Unity Super Sports Competition, MOPUSC 2026 finals were played on the Mbengwi Municipal stadium on Sunday 30th August 2026. Organised by Cameroon's Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Supreme State Audit, Her Excellency Justice Mbah Acha Rose who doubles as C.P.D.M Permanent Delegation Head for Momo with support from top elites of the party in the division like Mayors, M.Ps Councillors, Senator, Section Presidents etc, the grand finale during which several millions were shared as cash prizes to winners and participants brought together thousands of sports lovers from Batibo, Mbengwi, Widikum, Andek and Njikwa.

The Champions, 11 Ripe Peppers of Mile 19 in a Family Photo with the Minister and Entourage 

Why Always Mbengwi?

As the Momo divisional headquarters, Mbengwi enjoys a lot of previleges. Over 85% of the organising committee members are Mbengwi sons, daughters. All planning meetings are held in Mbengwi. During the first early preparatory meetings held in the conference hall of the D.Os office to adopt the internal rules of the tournament, the other four subdivisions were never represented. It's often said any decision taken about you without you is against you.

One of the resolutions that the tournament be kept open for players from anywhere nationwide and beyond was taken without the consent of the other subdivisions. While Njikwa, Ngie, Batibo, Widikum just like last year focused on having teams whose players are their sons and daughters, or at least originate from Momo, team managers in Mbengwi that had mastered the business of football/handball went "buying" professional players from 1st, 2nd and 3rd division clubs across the country to come play under the name Mbengwi. 

The Mbororos Stole the Show

At the group stage played within subdivisions, each subdivision was offered 500.000F as running cost. Unfortunately many could still not come up with two teams for each discipline as was stipulated for the divisional knockout stage. A majority reached Mbengwi and picked players from teams that had been eliminated resulting to a team bearing the name Ngie for example but most of the players in it are natives of Mbengwi. Whatever each of the 4 subdivision did with their own 500.000F is better known by them.

Again disciplines like football girls, handball boys and handball girls were minimised by the other four subdivisions. Only Mbengwi had competiting teams at the group stage reason why at the end nearly all the Mbengwi teams still proceeded to play the divisional finals.

Why team managers in the other four sub divisions see MOPUSC as just sports, those in Mbengwi see it beyond that. To them it's pure business reason they invest in it. Awandam Conquerors that emerged champions in football girls, handball boys were someone's investment and she ended grabbing at least 4 million francs. They had won the first edition of the tournament and had mastered how to play the game better.

11 Ripe Peppers and Down Beach plus 7 Ripe Peppers were also someone's investment. He ended up getting at last 5 million. It was the very team that won the first edition in football boys. These investors simply change team name every edition but always use almost same players. Take away all the expenditures, these investors will still be running on a profit. They understood the business side of it and invested during the second edition and made gains, did same during the second edition and made more gains, are ready to keep investimg more even if it means buying players from out of the country to still win the next edition. 

Awandam Conquerors of Mbengwi, Champions, Football Girls, Won 2 Million Francs

Awandam Conquerors of Mbengwi, Champions, Handball Boys, Won 2 Million Francs 

State of Playgrounds

Tah Romanus is a sports annalyst. To him, the state of the pitches does not reflect the tournament. When it rains, the handball court becomes a pool of standing water and often any ongoing match is suspended, same thing with the football pitch that is not leveled with several sections holding standing water whenever it rains. Again, due to erosion, the heights of the football  goal posts are not equal. 

Anuah Simon Ketu, Subdivisional Delegate of Sports and Physical Education for Mbengwi is also worried about the bad shape of the pitches. As head of the technical organising committee of MOPUSC 2026, in his speech, he proposed the rehabilitation and improvement of the playing grounds, provision of adequate sporting equipment and facilities, better drainage system to enhance the smooth organisation and programming of subsequent matches.

Poor State of the Handball Court when it Rains

Amusement Village

The Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) innovation of the Momo for Peace and Unity Super Sports Competition 2026 edition was the introduction of an Amusement Village. The concept, brought about by Seta Withgodep Wiertz, vice chairperson of the organising committee became the icing on the cake, pulling together more people at times than the matches.

The MOPUSC Amusement Village became like a trade fair ground. Every Sunday evening after the matches, the general population, together with players and supporters all rally back on the municipal stadium where a section had been carved out as the amusement village. 

Canopies, chairs, music, alcoholic and soft drinks, food, barbecue, shawama, pop corn, ice cream, live animation and general ambiance, fanfare characterised the amusement village. People stayed up all night there enjoying themselves till daybreak. Whatever the outcome of the matches, irrespective of poor officiating, quarrels, accusations, all of that usually becomes history and peace and unity is embraced in camaraderie amongst all when amusing themselves.

MOPUSC Amusement Village

Rigobert Song, Samuel Eto'o Step up the Cash Prizes

MOPUSC has now become one of the biggest sports jamboree in Cameroon. In total, the sum of 490.000F was shared as cash prizes for athletics and swimming disciplines, 16.650.000F as football, handball prizes, 1.300.000F as  compensatory prizes for participating teams, 1.000.000F as individual distinction prizes. All summed up gives a total of nineteen million four hundred and forty thousand francs (19.440.000F). 

On this amount, the president of Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto'o Fils added 200.000F for the highest goals scorer, Andongono Kluvert from 11 Ripe Peppers of Mbengwi while one time captain and coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Rigobert Song also added 200.000F  for the best defender in the tournament, Akeh Paul from Njikwa F.C

There was also an excellence award of material prizes worth millions to some 67 pupils and students drawn from primary, secondary, high and vocational training schools across the division that did well in  national exams like First School, Common Entrance , G.C.E O/A Level, CAPIEM, CAPIET. It is estimated that at least 25 million francs was spent for general organisation and prizes to give MOPUSC 2026 the outstanding success it recorded. 

Minister Mbah Acha Speaks

Talking to the press at the close of the finals, Cameroon's Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Supreme State Audit, H.E Justice Mbah Acha Rose under whose distinguished patronage the competition was placed said "It has been very successful, it's put a smile on everybody's face and as you can see everyone is happy and now we can talk peace because violence has never been able to solve any problem"

As an advocate for education, she reiterated her usual call for non state armed fighters to allow schools go on and encouraged parents to brave all odds to send their children to school. To match words with action, beneficiaries of the excellence awards were mostly gifted school materials like books, bags, gas plates etc. "Please allow the schools to go on. Parents should allow their children go to school. We have seen the effects of no school, how the children are so big in the house and don't know anything. When they go and learn, our society will be improved."

These were the words of the minister before she later addressed the recent increase in the spade of femicide cases nationwide. Hear her, "I condemn very seriously the killing of women. We are not animals to be slaughtered. We are humans with our own rights just like men have their own right. We are calling on the men who have been killing these women and who find joy in doing so to please stop. They have a right to live just like you"

H.E Justice Mbah Acha Rose née Fomundam, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Supreme State Control, MOPUSC Patron

Excellence Award

Excellence Award

Down Beach Handball Club of Mbengwi, Champions, Handball Girls, Won 2 Million

Press Interview

MOPUSC 2027 and thereafter?

The answer to the question whether or not there'll still be the competition next year 2027 and thereafter is still pending. At a time the nation continues to await a cabinet reshufflement and or change at the presidency, all fingers remain crossed, arms folded. The minister did not openly declare that they'll be or they won't be the tournament next year. However, we are privy to underground information that the process to officially register MOPUSC as an association has been engaged. Such moves are indications that irrespective of whether there's a cabinet shake up or not, change at the helm of the Presidency or not, MOPUSC has likely come to stay.

Fon of Njinibi Reawakens Ancient Festival to Appease the gods and Subjects

The relationship between the Fon of Njinibi, H.R.H Chick Marcus, his subjects and the gods of the land has for sometimes now not been convivial ever since his ascension to the throne. Faced with this challenge and as part of the healing and reconciliation process, the royal authority has reawaken the staging of an ancient cultural festival in his village Njinibi, this to appease his subjects and the gods. 

On Saturday 4th April 2026, hundreds of Njinibi sons and daughters drawn from in and out of the village plus friends and relatives from far and near assembled in the palace courtyard to witness and or partake in the staging of the long abandoned cultural event. 

H.R.H Chick Marcus of Njinibi Granting Press Interview

H.R.H Chick Marcus, Fon of Njinibi (2nd from the right) flanked by colleagues 

Clad in their traditional regalias known as "torghor", they clustered as quarters, dance groups, meetings ("njangis") around the ceremonial ground. Fokwa Kuchambi is a prince of the Njinibi Palace. Speaking to Mbengwi Online, he castigated the warm reception given by blacks to European cultures. To him, "we need to go back to our roots."

The apex of the ceremony was the staging of the Nere dance exclusively by those traditionally dressed, led by the Fons that were present princes, notables. At the end of the dance, while hitting a gong, H.R.H Chick Marcus sent out a clarion call to all Njinibi sons and daughters at home and abroad to come back home and develope the village now that the Anglophone crisis that used to scare them away is ended. 

Fon of Njinibi leading colleagues in the Nere dance

Dance Group

 

In a press interview at the close of the cultural festival, the royal authority said "the symbolism is that after 10 years of retard, we deemed it necessary to come back home to revive our tradition." Making an appraisal of the latest developments in his village, he revealed that Njinibi was recently raised from a third class to a second class fondom by the state and that presently they're envisaging the transformation of Njinibi into a subdivision. 

To the few remaining non state armed fighters left and castigators of division, hatred, jealousy within the village, he said "they should know that everything is calm now. The Fon of Njinibi has forgiven them. They should leave all that behind and come join us develop Njinibi because we are all one."

Villagers at the Festival Ground

Amongst key personalities present at the festival where the Senior Divisional Officer of Momo represented by his second assistant Mbi Edwin Tabe, the Divisional Officer of Mbengwi, Ngidah Lawrence Che, the Mayor of the Mbengwi Council, Ndangsa Kennedy Akam and heads of security units in the subdivision. 

The heavily militarised event ended with heavy feasting. The Fon promised his subjects that from now onwards, it will be a yearly event in the palace. Expectations now are that bygones are let to be bygones and a new leave turned in Njinibi village.

MBECCUL Gets New President at Elective A.G.M

 

Mbengwi Central Cooperative Credit Union Limited, MBECCUL now has  a new President of the Board of Directors in the person of Azah Francis. This was the outcome of an elective Annual General Meeting that took place on Saturday 4th April 2026 at the Christian Women Fellowship Centre, Mbengwi. 

Before now, Azah Francis had served as Vice President of the BoD for three years. This time around he challenged the incumbent, Eke Andrew Ake that's held the position since 2011 and found favour in the members, many who had been longing for change. 

Union Members Voting for a New President

To Mimba George, a member of the union, the A.G.M ended fruitfully. "The president worked well for all these years but we needed a new blood to come in for the credit union to grow bigger" said George. He called for a general spirit of collaboration between the incoming and outgoing executive. 

In his last address to the members after all these years of committed service, Eke Andrew Ake, the outgoing president promised to continue assisting the incoming whenever the need arises. Azah Francis, the newly elected President on his part extended a vote of thanks to all for giving him the confidence to head the union's Board of Directors.

Azah Francis, Newly Elected President, MBECCUL BoD

Nubia Elvis, General Manager, MBECCUL

He added that "I am very happy for the assurance given by the outgoing president on his availability because there's much I have to still tap from him before the end of my three year mandate. I will work with him to see that MBECCUL continues to progress"

When Mbengwi Online met with Edmond Nkeh, the supervisor of CamCCUL Bamenda Chapter at the end of the meeting for an appraisal, he said "Honestly, we are pleased with members and management because looking at the regulatory norms, so far they scored 13/14 which is very good for a credit union operating in the midst of crisis."

Talking about the elections, to him, "they were extremely very matured especially because we introduced a crisis management policy which gives room for continuity. We from CamCCUL don't impose mandates on elected officials. It is always the decision of members and it's always through democracy and we follow strictly the law of majority. It is a cooperative philosophy that whatever the members want, we must follow."

Edmond Nkeh, CamCCUL Bamenda Chapter Supervisor 

Being new in office, the new president of MBECCUL, Azah Francis will now undergo training. It is part of CamCCULs products to conduct supervision and train presidents plus Board of Directors that come new into office. 

As the Eke era ends and the Azah era starts, the union members are now expecting a speedy growth in membership, shares, branches, staff strength and the like. MBECCUL went operational in 1993 and as at now, it's membership has grown to over 3.000. With the slogan "Na We Gettam", the Azah Francis led BoD is now in charge.

Mbengwi D.O Revives Bome through Football

Placed under the distinguished patronage of the Divisional Officer of Mbengwi, Ngidah Lawrence Che, the Great Bome Revival Football Tournament was launched on Saturday April 4th 2026 on the Government School Field Bome, precisely in Funam. The launching match pitted Bome Area Youths Association (BAYA) home branch selection versus an out of home selection and ended four goals to one in favour of the home boys. 

Earlier that morning, a cross country race took place with Muhammadu Alidu from Tuanyang emerging winner. At half time during the football encounter, some Bome women played a childhood game that's getting extinct known as "Dodging". At the end, they were each awarded a tray of eggs from the D.Os poultry. 

Family Picture of Cup Donor, Match Officials and Players

Seta Withgodep Wiertz is an influential Bome youth. To him, the initiative by the D.O is timely. Speaking on behalf of Bome youths, he said "Indeed we really appreciate the Divisional Officer for this great commitment to ensure that Bome is truly vibrant with life and development."

Seta of recent introduced the Bome Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (BOYEDI), the biggest youth movement ever in the zone since the advent of the Anglophone with a membership that now stands at over a hundred. Within their few months of existence, the initiative has economically empowered some of her members, paid an exchange visit to another youth group, Tondig Sports and Social Club. 

In a keynote address to the population at the end of the launching match, Ngidah Lawrence Che, the Divisional Officer of Mbengwi doubling as cup donor said "the aim of this tournament is to accompany the back to school process, our recently reopened market and the youths that have been doing  quite a lot to see that life returns to normal in the entire Bome zone."

Seta Withgodep Wiertz, Influential Bome Youth

D.O of Mbengwi, Ngidah Lawrence Che (in white t-shirt clapping hands while laughing) Flanked by Collaborators 

He further called on all the traditional rulers in Bome to work as a team to hold the zone together keeping aside inter village politics. To Bome elites, he appealed on them to always endeavour to come home. In his words, "We know the zone had been affected in the past but things are changing and desired change will not come spontaneously. It is gradual and it will be realised through the combination of efforts; that of the administration, elites, traditional authorities, men, women."

"All I want for the population of Mbengwi subdivision in general and Bome in particular is total return to peace and normalcy. Without these, we cannot achieve any meaningful development" he added and further went on to say "you all bear with me that for the past years, we have wasted lives, properties, deprived our children from proper education. We are not going to continue like that. This ongoing crisis, no messenger, no prophet will come out one day to sound a trumpet to tell us that today, officially the crisis has ended. Everyone will have to end it their own way"

The administrator also sounded a severe warning against the growing abusive consumption of hard drugs, stupefiants and harsh liquors like Wake Up, Tramadol, Caillou within the subdivision promising hard times for those who will be caught. He ended by calling on all to join hands in rebuilding Mbengwi to be great again. 

The two-week long sports jamboree will run from the 4th to the 18th of April 2026 with 1 million francs kept aside for prizes to be distributed as follows: 300.000F  for the winner, 150.000F for the runner up, 100.000F for the 3rd position and 50.000F for the 4th meanwhile the rest will recieve 25.000F as  participation prize. The six teams that will partake in the tournament are Njembeng F.C, Mile 17 F.C, Abi Fall F.C, Funam F.C, Basic Union of Motorcycle Transporters (BUMT) and Tondig Sports and Social Club.

Tang Market in Funam, Bome Relaunched

Tang Market in Funam, Bome Relaunched

The Tang weekly market in Funam Bome has been relaunched. The special reopening of the market was done on Tuesday March 17 2026 by the Divisional Officer of Mbengwi, Ngidah Lawrence Che in the company of H.R.H Prof. Wilfred Mbacham, the Fon of Funam, the first Deputy Mayor of the Mbengwi Council, Dorine Fonjong epouse Agwe, other Bome fons and the general population.

To Chunga Gladys, the reopening will go a long way to strengthen economic activities in Funam. She encouraged all Funam women to now intensify the cultivation of various crops.

Just like Gladys, another Funam woman told Mbengwi Online that "I'm so happy because we had been longing for this market to the point where we were almost falling sick but after this reopening, we feel relieved"

Farm Produce Being Marketed 

As of the benefits they'll gain, she said it'll help them to play their "njangis", pay their children's school fees and sell their farm produce that used to get bad. According to Nih Lewis Tata, Tang market in Funam in the good old days used to be like Tad market in Nyen. He grew up seeing a village market flourishing with goods of all varieties, buyers and sellers from all over. He hopes with this resumption, such good old days will gradually return.

While others remained optimistic, Sakeh Florence was not so confident about the sustainability of the market especially as it's been repeatedly relaunched and not long after, it dies down. To her, the problem stems from pricing since the only thing that will attract buyers is if items sold in Tang, Funam are cheaper than how same items are sold in Mbon, Ku.

In a one on one with H.R.H Prof. Wilfred Mbacham Tarke, Mbengwi Online's Fongoh p. Ayeh first wanted to know from him the raison d'être for the reopening. In response, the varsity don said "We looked at the economic activities of the Bome zone and saw that produce farmed are not being sold quick enough and so we thought it necessary to redynamize and revitalise the market by relaunching it most importantly to promote farming activities."

H.R.H Prof. Wilfred Mbacham Tarke, Fon of Funam, Bome

He further disclosed that by encouraging the farmers, they're going to have a more vibrant market not the way their forefathers left it but in a way that's more morden. "We have done an architectural design in which we are going to solicit for funds and erect sheds that'll be given out for rents. There'll be sections for palm oil, gari, water fufu, livestock, fertiliser, provision, clothes, handicrafts, in short sections for all types of things that people want to buy as commodities" he added.

In conclusion, he ended by encouraging all the zones in Meta to come back with their weekly markets and give it some modernism because from the way most things are produced, they quickly get bad because of the absence of better methods of preservation and when they get bad it's a loss for the farmers.

Bome Youth Empowerment & Development Initiative 

The relaunch of the Tang Market in Funam, Bome also presented an opportunity for members of the newly formed Bome Yout Empowerment and Development Initiative to make their first public appearance. The initiative spearheaded by Seta Withgodep Weirtz, a philanthropist and community leader is aimed at rallying all youths from the seven villages that make up the Bome zone to take their destiny into their hands in terms of education, employment, development and the like.

After Njaah, Ngu Victor Opens Another Solar Powered Cold Store in Njah-Etu, Targets Zang Tabi as Next

After Njaah, Ngu Victor Opens Another Solar Powered Cold Store in Njah-Etu, Targets Zang Tabi as Next

Some Meta sons and daughters have for a while now been standing out different as those not only feeling the plights of the commoners but actually taking bold steps to address such by using their personal meagre resources to provide solutions to some of the people's problems. Most of them are not politicians and so their charitable works have no earmarked political gains but just reaching out to humanity, improving on the livelihoods of their populations pleases their hearts. 

One of such sons is Ngu Victor Teche. Though based in Yaoundé, he's always in constant touch with realities back home and has been greatly concerned with challenges faced by the people of the Gutah and Taah zones of the Meta clan, one of such being inaccessibility to goods of basic necessity. Moreover, he visits home almost every time need arises.

Frozen Fish in Solar Powered Freezer

Ngu Victor Teche, Philanthropist

In tracing his take off point, he told Mbengwi Online that "I started philanthropic works back home since 2018 till now and I've been consistent in doing that because I'm actually motivated when I see people happy. The passion to help them always drives me to move on and do more but then we are inspiring others because in the long run, we might have limited resources to do more again and so others can pick up from there and help their communities or help the less privileged or help people who are in need."

On Sunday August 25th 2024, he opened a solar powered cold store in Njaah, precisely at a junction known as Sanyere, where travellers to and from Njikwa and Ngie subdivisions usually stop to have a rest before continuing their journey. It was first of its kind in the area serving hundreds of villagers from within the area and neighbouring villages, communities. 

Njah-Etu is neighbouring village to Acha Tugi. There's been no cold store here before despite the village being relatively populated. Having noticed this gap and considering that fish is a basic component in most meals especially soups, Ngu Victor took upon himself the responsibility to free the people of Njah-Etu from travelling for kilometres just to get frozen fish. 

On Sunday June 22nd 2025, a solar powered cold store was inaugurated in Njah-Etu, witnessed by religious and traditional authorities plus the beneficiary population from in and out of the village. Just like the case of the one in Njaah, attached to the cold store in Njah-Etu is a snack bar for relaxation.

While revealing his motivation, Victor said "In essence, the first factor that motivated me to open this cold store here in Njah-Etu is due to the fact that my mother comes from here. Njah-Etu is my second home. The second reason is that the people here have been appealing that there's a need to open a cold store here because they often stress a lot going right up to Sanyere to buy frozen fish and so I saw this as a relief to bring this cold store to their doorsteps. The third factor is that I'm doing this to inspire others. We don't do gestures like this because we have but rather, we are driven by passion to do these things."

Consignment of Vuvuzelas

Pastor Blessing the Cold Store

A consignment of vuvuzelas was also donated to the community to help combat insecurity. The concept had been tried in Acha-Tugi and confirmed to be effective. On Friday sept 27 2024, in celebrating his birthday, Victor visited the Presbytery General Hospital where he was born some 41 years back to make a donation of security cameras, solar lamps, vuvuzelas, buckets, moppers etc. The vuvuzelas are distributed to several households and each time there are indications of insecurity in the village like robbery, kidnap etc, every household starts blowing theirs. As such the whole place becomes, noisy either scaring the criminals away or alerting able men and youths in the village to step out and face the attackers.

Coincidentally, just barely two days after donating the items to help beef up security in Acha Tugi, two thieves were arrested in the area on Monday morning breaking Tuesday. The gang of 4 had attacked a man in the neighborhood in an attempt to seize money from him. He resisted the robbers and was well beaten, wounded. An alarm was raised by blowing the vuvuzelas and the vigilant population came out in their numbers and went after the thieves. Two were caught while two escaped.  This this inspired the donation of vuvuzelas too to the people of Njah-Etu.

Talking about others that he draws lessons from them in doing his humanitarian works, Teche said "If you look at what the Kendely's are doing, this is somebody who has come like a saviour for the Meta people. Look at all what he's been doing around because he's driven by passion to do those things. He could still say he wouldn't do those things but because when you have that passion in you to help the needy, you'll always do what's right. You'll also bear with me there are people who don't like what he's doing. There are people who just sit there to criticise what others are doing but when we think about the majority who are the beneficiaries, we don't relent our efforts in carrying out these humanitarian works. We forge ahead because the minorities are always the enemies within but then the beneficiaries are the ones we look up to to give them these relief packages"

At press time, we learnt that the people of Zang Tabi have also started clamouring for a cold store to also be established in their own village. If done, then it'll also be beneficial to neighboring Kai and Toneku villages. Teche's wish is that all start thinking of doing street lightning in Meta to keep places brighter at night and also extend the vuvuzelas to  all Meta villages which truly helps as alarm bells in cases of danger. 

Bessi Fomukong Youths Wake-up

Bessi Fomukong Youths Wake-up

History has it that in the yesteryears, Bessi Fomukong used to have a very strong youth force that spearheaded development affairs in the village from roads rehabilitation through community work during which the sides were cleared, gutters traced for runoffs and potholes filled to construction projects like their church, water reservoir (in neighbouring Wumnembit village) and their weekly market known as Kwe where the youths built local kiosks out of bamboo, sticks and planks.

The Kwe market used to pull together hundreds of buyers and sellers right from Mbengwi and beyond. Every summer holiday, the roads from Njimboh to Gyiewor, Funechoh, Mufong, Sang, from Kwe to Mbengbu, Baaminip, Tonebessi to G.R.A used to be maintained by Bessi youths, supported by their parents. Cultural week activities during third term holidays that usually ended with a disco night in the school hall used to pull attendees right from Munam, Mbengeghang, Mbengwi and other far off places. The village was known by then as Down Town because of its topography; though on a plane, to get there, one has hills to descend.

In the sporting domain, Bessi Fomukong used to have a very solid football squad that was a hard team to defeat by their opponents.   The village had one of the best football fields and handball courts in those days, very leveled and covered with grass. Tournaments used to take place in Bessi pulling close to 500 spectators.

At some point in time the membership of the Bessi Fomukong traditional council and session of P.C Bessi Fomukong was mostly made up of youths. Things were in order until the discovery of huge deposits of Kaolin, also known as china clay or in local palance, "Calabar chalk" a soft, white clay mineral used in a wide variety of applications, including ceramics, paper production, cosmetics, and medicine in the village.

Mining "Calabar Chalk" in Bessi Fomukong 

The discovery became a blessing to the villagers but on the hand also a curse; a blessing in that at least 500 persons now depend directly or indirectly on the mining of this mineral, men and women, boys and girls even children, everyone has something to do and make money in the chain of mining, transportation, marketing etc. The extraction of Kaolin from beneath the earth in Bessi has created employment to hundreds of not only youths of the village but also those from neighbouring villages and communities.

Unfortunately, the level of drug, alcohol abuse has increased in Bessi Fomukong because of this. Many miners believe that consuming strong gins and hard drugs gives them strength to work. After sales, many usually indulge into squandering the money reason why year in year out their lives still remain thesame though there are a few doing something useful like building houses, dressing well, buying new electronics and assisting their families. The level at which new houses are being constructed in Bessi is on a steady increase thanks to the mineral.

The community spirit that used to reign supreme amongst Bessi youths and villagers has disappeared. Everyone now looks more at their personal gains than community gains. After all these years of exploiting Calabar chalk in Bessi, there's been no single  project in the village jointly realised for the benefit of all with proceeds generated from the mining business. The village is still without a hall, the Kwe weekly market is in bushes, many roads leading into and out of the village are deplorable, the sporting fields are in the wild with no goal posts, water crisis still continue to plague the locals, the palace of Bessi Fomukong is made of a structure one has little or nothing to desire about.

Nowadays even when community work is announced, there's a poor turnout. Everyone now focuses only on Calabar chalk exploitation which is of course for their personal gain. It is estimated that at least a billion francs has been generated eversince the mining process stated. What if some hundreds of thousands were sacrificed by all to rehabilitate the roads leading to Bessi or to build a community hall or to plant new goal posts on the fields or to rehabilitate and put to use the abandoned structures in the Kwe market or to rehabilitate the palace or to engage in a water supply scheme to the village like digging boreholes, wells etc?

Yes, all of these are possible if and only if the exploitation process is coordinated and all involved prioritise the development of the village as benefit from the natural resource. The situation is more sickening to see that a solar electrification project of the village funded and realised through Sino-Cameroon relationship some years back is being abandoned to crumble and no one seems to care. Poles have been falling, cables rolling on the ground even across roads and everyone crosses on them with cars bikes and foot  unperturbed. The dry season will soon be around, there'll be bushfires and certainly the cables and poles will be burnt and that will be the end for the villagers to enjoy solar light. To get new poles even if it's untreated eucalyptus trees, plant them and remount the cables on them simply needs all to come together and jointly see it a a problem needing solution but since despite rolling on the ground, electricity is still flowing through the cables and reaching individual homes, everyone sees it as normal.

Other villages that haven't got such a blessing are in reality progressing more than Bessi. Certainly the day there'll no longer be calabar in Bessi, that's when many persons will come back to their senses to realise that life has to be about community first and there's no way a village will have such a mineral and there are no visible projects in the village realised for the common good of all with proceeds from it's exploitation. The people may just be lucky that because of the Anglophone Crisis the Cameroon government hasn't stepped in to control it's exploitation like done with other minerals in other regions.

By now a foreign or national company would've bought all the kaolin deposits and the locals have nothing to say or do. It's high time the Bessi Fomukong Cultural and Development Association together with the palace, traditional council, youth association and other stakeholders step in to enforce the ploughing back of profits generated from the exploitation in the development of the village without which in some years to come, the village will be under developing while individuals are enriching themselves.

MBEDECA Pulls Biggest Crowd Ever in Mbemi Since Advent of Anglophone Crisis

For the first time in over seven years since the advent of the Anglophone Crisis, the  Mbemi community hall couldn't contain the population that turned out to attend the Annual General Meeting of Mbemi Development and Cultural  Association, MBEDECA that took place on Saturday 19 April 2025. Such A.G.Ms within the past were held out of the village due to insecurity back home but this 2025, it was resolved that the meeting must hold back in the village.

The three-day event started with a national EXCO meeting on Thursday, delegates meeting on Friday together with youth meeting that had football plus election and then the A.G.M on Saturday which started with a cross country race, inauguration of a bridge and culvert in the village, then the meeting proper. At the inauguration of the Keutah bridge constructed by the Mbengwi Council linking Mbemi to Njindom, the Fon of Mbemi, H.R.H Mbabit Tangwan poured blessings from his royal cup on Ndangsa Kennedy Akam, Mayor of the Mbengwi Council and Hon. Injoh Foo Ngang Prodencia, M.P for Mbengwi encouraging them to continue addressing the development concerns of the people. 

Part of Population at MBEDECA 2025 A.G.M

Partial View Population in the hall

Ndangsa Kennedy Akam after cutting the ribbon explained that the council always gives priority to bridges that link two community and so they're handing it over to the population of Mbemi and Njindom to make proper use of it as it'll help them have easy access to their neighbours and farms. "We have other projects in our projects banks which are in the pipeline for the people of Mbemi but I'll not let the cat out of the bag for now" he added. He ended by beckoning on the beneficiary population to maintain the bridge for sustainability mostly by opening up gutters so that run offs don't settle on the bridge and pledged to still intervene in grading the road from the bridge into the two villages.

The A.G.M in the Mbemi community hall was characterised by speeches, installation of newly elected exco members, branch reports, financial reports and donations. Ayong Primus is one the elites of Mbemi. He told us "We've been having this type of activity but not in this number. The population here is like we are hosting MECUDA but it's a normal Mbemi development association meeting. We've come back powerfully with that zeal of having the village at heart."

The Member of Parliament on her part being a daughter of Mbemi told us that "Today is a great day for me as their representative to be in touch with my people directly. I've taken time to educate them on the importance of getting their names into the electoral register and given them strategies for their economic empowerment plus reminding them of some of the projects they've benefited through my interventions most especially the upgrading of electricity in the village to a 3-phase transformer."

Hon. Injoh Foo Ngang Prodencia, M.P for Mbengwi 

Mbemi Youths Offering a Laptop and Printer to MBEDECA President

Mbemi youths during the meeting used the opportunity to present a laptop and printer they bought to foster documentation services in the village and easy access to I.C.T by most especially pupils and students in the village. There was also agro-pastoral, arts and craft exhibitions at the end of which exhibitors were awarded prizes.

Several reasons accounted for the big success of the MBEDECA 2025 A.G.M. According to its national president, Anjeh William some included the many years spent apart between parents and their children, relatives and family members, friends and loved ones without seeing each other plus the mobilisation that was done in the build up to the event especially as it was to be an elective general assembly meeting for the youths and women's wings. 

He however regretted that on the other hand, there are still some MBEDECA branches nationwide and beyond that aren't fairing well. Despite this, he still went ahead to encourage all Mbemi sons and daughters to belong to the association wherever they are without which they shall not be recognised in the village especially when in trouble. Lastly, the national president disclosed that the major project  association has for this year is the renovation of the Mbemi palace and hall.

Inauguration of the Newly Constructed Keutah Bridge Linking Mbemi to Njindom by the Mayor of the Mbengwi Council

H.R.H Mbabit Teghen, Fon of Mbemi

At the end, over ten traditional dance groups drawn from the various quarters that make up the village showcased their culture. When Mbengwi Online met with the Fon of Mbemi, H.R.H Mbabit Tangwan , he first began by expressing surprise with the massive turnout of his subjects for the event. "I am calling on sons and daughters of Mbemi to come back home let's see how we can bring back development in our community and project our cherished culture that is fastly dying" he added. 

The meeting ended with refreshment and a commitment to make the 2026 edition of the A.G.M more grandiose. The mobilisation is ongoing already with assurance given to all that Mbemi is now safe compared to the past years. Ayong Primus is a manager of one of the branches of Azire Cooperative Credit Union Limited (AziCCUL) in Douala. Hon. Injoh Foo Ngang Prodencia is a politician, M.P for Mbengwi. The Fon himself works with Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) and also a municipal councillor at the Mbengwi. 

The trio and other top elites go in and out of the village anyday, anytime without any fear and nothing happens to any of them. Even the mayor of the Mbengwi council also goes to Mbemi at will, this to confirm that Mbemi in particular and the whole of the Meta clan in general is safe, now termed a green zone, not red again.